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Sanja Knežević

Flying Rooster

A young man throws his rooster in the air in unhygienic Roma settlement Vuk Vrcevic in Belgrade, Serbia, known for its many families facing extreme poverty and heroin addiction. Those who have not fallen into the clutches of drugs live a typical Roma life characterized by high spirit.

Awards

Color Photography Contest

2025

Nominee

People

Professional

Flying Rooster

A young man throws his rooster in the air in unhygienic Roma settlement Vuk Vrcevic in Belgrade, Serbia, known for its many families facing extreme poverty and heroin addiction. Those who have not fallen into the clutches of drugs live a typical Roma life characterized by high spirit.

About Artist

Sanja Knežević

Sanja Knežević is a documentary photographer, born in Belgrade in 1984. In the focus of her work are marginalized groups, cultural phenomena and citizens striving for freedom and justice. She graduated in photography at the Faculty of Applied Arts in 2009 in Belgrade. In addition to formal education, Sanja participated in prestigious world workshops, most recently at the VII Academy in Arles. She has the status of an independent artist in her country since 2011. From 2012-2014, Sanja lived in one of the most vibrant countries in the world - Indonesia. In June 2018, she participated in the Pil'Oursu festival in France, where she exhibited among 10 female photographers from around the world, and in 2019, she was a co-participant in the Fotorama fest, where the guests were photographers from National Geographic magazine. Since 2018, as a photographer, Sanja regularly collaborates with various UN agencies. In adition, she she collaborated with Open Society Foundations and Anmesty International. Sanja's works have been published in Wired, Vice UK, Zeit, Der Spiegel, NRC Handelsblad, The Economist, Financial Times, Boston Globe... She won 5 times Grand Prix at Press Photo Serbia in 2010 and 2021 and at the regional competition of the Beta News Agency in 2012, 2019 and 2020. Last but not least, Sanja won the 1st prize for portrait photography in 2012. at the "Photo Week" festival in Washington.

Photographic Areas of Focus

People, Photojournalism, Portrait, Street

Location

Serbia

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