Edgar Martins was born in Portugal but grew up in Macau (China), where he published his first novel entitled Mãe deixa-me fazer o pino.
In 1996 he moved to the UK, where he completed a BA in Photography and Social Sciences at the University of the Arts, as well as an MA in Photography and Fine Art at the Royal College of Art.
His work is represented internationally in several high-profile collections, including the V&A, London; the National Media Museum, Bradford, UK; RIBA, London; the Dallas Museum of Art, USA; Museu Calouste Gulbenkian/Modern Art Centre, Lisbon and Fondation Carmignac, Paris.
His first book, Black Holes & Other Inconsistencies was awarded the Thames & Hudson and RCA Society Book Art Prize. A selection of images from this book was also awarded The Jerwood Photography Award in 2003.
Between 2002 and 2018 Martins has published 15 separate monographs which have been exhibited internationally including at at PS1 MoMA, New York; MOPA, San Diego; MACRO, Rome; Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis; Centro de Arte Moderna de Bragança, Portugal; Centro Cultural Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro; The New Art Gallery Walsal, UK; PM Gallery & House, London; The Gallery of Photography, Dublin; The Wolverhampton Art Gallery & Museum, UK and Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool.
In 2010 the Centre Culturel Calouste Gulbenkian, Paris hosted Edgar Martins’ first retrospective exhibition.
Edgar Martins was the recipient of the inaugural New York Photography Award (Fine Art category, May 2008); the BES Photo Prize (Portugal, 2009); the SONY World Photography Award (Landscape cat. 2009; Still-Life cat 2018; Architecture cat., 2018), 1st prize in the Fine Art— Abstract category of the 2010 International Photography Awards and nominated for the Prix Pictet 2009.
Edgar Martins was selected to represent Macau (China) at the 54th Venice Biennale.
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