INTRODUCTION

For over two decades, I've been exploring the beauty and complexity of the human form through my lens. My work is rooted in the belief that the body is a powerful canvas for expression, capable of telling stories and evoking emotions in ways words often cannot.

Through my photography, I aim to challenge conventional views of art and beauty, using light, shadow, and composition to create images that are both intimate and thought-provoking. My journey has taken me to exhibitions across Europe, and my works have found their place in private collections, museums and galleries.

For me, photography is not just a profession but a personal exploration of form, emotion, and the subtle connections that make us human.

Work

01

Just let me go

2020.-2024.
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Slits

2013.-2016.
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"According to the author, foil signifies and determines what is "in front" and  what is "behind" (the foil), which can be metaphorically understood as  dichotomous relations of private and public, adultery and fidelity, calm beautiful and aggressive ugly, moral and immoral - in the end. The slits on the foils are shaped like vulvas or wounds, so any penetration of body parts from one space to another can be experienced and/or  perceived as the birth of new situations, relationships and  communication dynamics of any kind..."

Details of intimacy

2000.-2003.
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"To choose the (female) body as the subject and motif for one's first solo exhibition, as the Pula-based photographer Đani Celija did, means, first and foremost, being brave enough to tackle a theme as old as art itself. However, "Details of Intimacy," as the exhibition is titled, does not merely explore the intimate sphere of the model, who entrusts herself to the photographer and photography in the most hidden part of her life and psyche..."

Together

2009.
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Lie

2018.
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Changes

2010.
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Two

2004.
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About

02

ABOUT ME

I was born in Pula, Croatia, in 1977 and began pursuing photography in 1990. In 1998, I graduated from ISFAV, the "Istituto Superiore di Fotografia e Arti Visive," in Padua, Italy, where I specialized in still-life and industrial photography. I also completed a professional workshop at SINAR A.G. in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

After my studies, I remained in Italy and worked at the photographic studios Quasar - Ditre Group s.r.l. in Piombino Dese (PD) and Murano (VE), where I started as a photo assistant and soon became a product photographer. My work with them took me to Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Egypt, Germany, and beyond.

When I returned to Croatia in 2000, I worked as a photojournalist for Jutarnji List and collaborated with magazines from the EPH group. At the same time, I began teaching photography at the "Obrtnička škola" in Pula, where I remained for seven years.

Since 2002, I have been working independently, initially through my business "Luxus - fotografski atelier," and later through "ALCOR VISUAL d.o.o.," where I continue to work as a photographer (owner and director), specializing in industrial, advertising, and product photography. Alongside my commercial work, I create art through photography and have held 22 solo exhibitions and exhibited collectively in Italy, Austria, Slovenia, France, Germany, Hungary, and Montenegro.

I have received numerous awards, including the "KUN Preis-Stuttgart" in 2022, the "Photodays 2014 / Rovinj" in the category of Nude/Body, and the "Erotica" - 2nd Salon of Erotic Photography in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2005. In 2012, I published a photomonograph titled "Shuffled Nudes" through EIKON STUDIO.

My works are part of the collection at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Istria and various private collections. I am also a member of ULUPUH (Association of Fine Artists of Applied Arts of Croatia), HDLU of Istria (Croatian Association of Fine Artists of Istria), and Kunst Stuttgart International e.V.

Contact

03

Dani Celija

Radiceva 27, HR-52100 Pula
+385 91 25 25 800
dani@danicelija.com
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