Andrew Rovenko (born 1978) is an Australian photographer of Ukrainian origin who is based in Melbourne.[1] He is known for his award-winning Rocketgirl Chronicles series that was captured in Victoria's coronavirus lockdown. Rovenko was named 2021 Australian Photographer of the Year by the Australian Photography Magazine[2] as well as 2022 Australasia's Top Emerging Photographer (Portrait) by the Capture Magazine[3]

Andrew Rovenko
Born1978
Odesa, Ukraine
NationalityAustralian
OccupationPhotographer
Known forPhotography
Notable workThe Rocketgirl Chronicles
StyleFine Art
Awards2021 Australian Photographer of the Year
Websiterovenko.com

Early life and education

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Rovenko was born and raised in Odesa, Ukraine and moved to Australia in his mid 20s.[4] He was noticed for his amateur photography first, which led to him being invited to work as a freelance magazine photographer, where he gained professional experience before switching back to personal projects[5]

Rocketgirl Chronicles

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The Rocketgirl Chronicles is a series of images featuring Rovenko's young daughter in a home-made astronaut suit designed by his wife.[6] With the first photographs originally intended as family memories, documenting the daily walks within the permitted radius under the restrictions of Melbourne's prolonged lockdown,[7] they quickly found resonance both locally[8] and abroad,[9][10][11] with high-profile publications including Vogue[1] and Rolling Stone,[12] being featured in exhibitions in Australia, Italy and New York and receiving multiple international photography awards.

The photograph from the series titled "The Shuttle" was selected as the cover for British Journal of Photography "Portrait of Humanity" - a yearly publication of remarkable portraits from around the world.[13]

With the author being a practitioner of traditional photography workflow,[14] the series was captured on medium format film using Mamiya RZ67 camera.[4]

The Book

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The Rocketgirl Chronicles photography book was published in 2023, attracting acclaim winning 2024 Book Photographer of the Year at Px3 (Prix de la Photographie, Paris)[15] as well as being named Best Fine Art Publication at International Photography Awards[16] and Tokyo International Foto Awards.[17] It includes over 100 images from the project, with ABC news describing the photographs as "timeless and otherworldly".[18] (ISBN 9780645777475)

Exhibitions

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Awards

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  • International Photography Awards, 2024 – Book/Fine Art Winner[16]
  • Prix de la Photographie Paris (Px3), 2024 – Book Photographer of the Year[15]
  • Percival Photographic Portrait Prize, 2024 – Finalist[20]
  • Belfast Photo Festival, 2024 – Photo Book Winner[37]
  • Tokyo International Foto Awards, 2003 – Book/Fine Art Winner[38]
  • Px3 (Prix de la Photographie, Paris), 2023 – Fine Art/People Winner[39]
  • Analog Sparks, International Film Photography Awards, 2023 – Fine Art/Conceptual Winner[40]
  • International Photography Awards, 2022 – 1st place / Analog / Film/Portrait[41]
  • Tokyo International Foto Awards, 2022 – Fine Art Winner[42]
  • Fine Art Photo Awards, 2022 – Conceptual Category Winner[43]
  • ND Awards, 2022 – Fine Art/Conceptual Winner[44]
  • Life Framer Award, Youthhood, 2022 – 2nd Prize[45]
  • Australian Photography Magazine Photographer of the Year, 2021 – Overall Winner, Portrait Category Winner[46]
  • Capture Magazine Australasia's Top Emerging Photographer, 2022 – Portrait Category Winner, Overall Runner-up[3]
  • Bluethumb Art Prize, 2021 – Photography Category Runner-up[47]
  • National Portrait Photographic Prize 2022 – Finalist[32]
  • Kuala Lumpur International Photographic Prize 2022 – Finalist[48]
  • Wyndham Art Prize, 2022 – Finalist[35]
  • IMA Next, Japan, 2022 – Finalist[49]
  • OptiKA Award, 2022 – Finalist[36]

References

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  1. ^ a b s.r.o, RECO. "English Version | 2021: space oddity". Vogue.pt (in Slovak). Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Photographer of the Year 2021, presented by Nokia: The winners! – Australian Photography". www.australianphotography.com. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Australasia's Top Emerging Photographer 2022 revealed! – Capture magazine". www.capturemag.com.au. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b mag, the pictorial (28 November 2021). "INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW ROVENKO". The Pictorial-List. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Andrew Rovenko: The Artist Behind the Iconic Rocketgirl Series". Bluethumb Online Art Gallery – Blog. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  6. ^ "The Rocketgirl Chronicles". rps.org. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  7. ^ "a little chat with 'rocketgirl' photographer andrew rovenko". frankie magazine. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  8. ^ Meet the aspiring Melbourne astronaut who has become an Instagram sensation | 7NEWS, retrieved 12 February 2022
  9. ^ Trojano, di Filippo. "I viaggi stellari di Andrew Rovenko – Q Code" (in Italian). Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  10. ^ "四歲的小太空女娃降落在無人的地球?解悶的創意攝影竟贏得了萬人點讚 – HEAVEN RAVEN – HEAVEN RAVEN". www.heavenraven.com. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  11. ^ "La pequeña astronauta, fotos de Andrew Rovenko". RadioCut. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  12. ^ "'The Rocketgirl Chronicles': il viaggio galattico di Andrew Rowenko | Rolling Stone Italia" (in Italian). 19 November 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Portrait of Humanity Vol.5 Winners and Shortlist - 1854 Photography". 1854 Photography. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  14. ^ Bilton, Ross (12 February 2022). "Rocketgirl to Earth". The Australian. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  15. ^ a b "PX3 2024 Gold Winner - The Rocketgirl Chronicles - Backyard Space Travel". Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  16. ^ a b "IPA 2024 Winner / The Rocketgirl Chronicles - Backyard Space Travel / Andrew Rovenko". photoawards.com. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  17. ^ "Andrew Rovenko, Winner - The Rocketgirl Chronicles". www.tokyofotoawards.jp. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  18. ^ "Tired of baking sourdough, this Melbourne family began an unusual lockdown project that went viral". ABC News. 25 December 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  19. ^ Ranieri, Paolo Colombatti, immagini di Paolo Colombatti, montaggio di Danilo (7 September 2024). Dalle foto un messaggio di Pace, al via il Treviso Photographic Festival (in Italian). Retrieved 19 September 2024 – via www.rainews.it.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ a b Council, Townsville City (14 August 2024). "The Percivals". www.townsville.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  21. ^ "Belfast Photo Festival". Belfast Photo Festival. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  22. ^ "Tokyo Foto Awards - Exhibitions". www.tokyofotoawards.jp. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  23. ^ "Andrew Rovenko, "The Rocketgirl Chronicles"". www.vintagephotofestival.com (in Polish). Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  24. ^ ""La Luna Bambina", alla Cavallerizza tra sogno e realtà - Il Torinese". iltorinese.it. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  25. ^ "National Photographic Portrait Prize 2022". www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  26. ^ "Exhibition - Barcelona - 2023". Life Framer. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  27. ^ "Exhibition - Johannesburg - 2023". Life Framer. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  28. ^ "Exhibition - Bloomington - 2023". Life Framer. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  29. ^ Card, Seniors (24 January 2023). "National Photographic Portrait Prize 2022 Exhibition". Seniors Card. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  30. ^ "National Photographic Portrait Prize 2022". www.noosaregionalgallery.com.au/. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  31. ^ "The rocketgirl chronicles – Head On". Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  32. ^ a b "The Shuttle, 2021". National Photographic Portrait Prize image. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  33. ^ "Andrew Rovenko". Riaperture – Festival di fotografia a Ferrara (in Italian). Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  34. ^ "The Rocketgirl Chronicles". Photoville Festival. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  35. ^ a b "Wyndham Art Prize 2022 Exhibition | Wyndham City". www.wyndham.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  36. ^ a b "OptiKA exhibition 2022". www.kingstonarts.com.au. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  37. ^ "Belfast Photo Festival". Belfast Photo Festival. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  38. ^ "Andrew Rovenko, Winner - The Rocketgirl Chronicles". www.tokyofotoawards.jp. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  39. ^ "PX3 2023 Winner - The Rocketgirl Chronicles". Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  40. ^ "The Rocketgirl Chronicles, Gold Winner in Fine Art/Conceptual". Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  41. ^ "IPA 2022 Winner / Rocketgirl Chronicles / Andrew Rovenko". photoawards.com. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  42. ^ "Andrew Rovenko, Winner - The Rocketgirl Chronicles". www.tokyofotoawards.jp. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  43. ^ "Fine Art Photography Awards – Andrew Rovenko 1st Prize Winner in Conceptual". fineartphotoawards.com. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  44. ^ "Fine Art: Conceptual - 1st place gold star award - Andrew Rovenko (Australia)". ndawards.net. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  45. ^ "Winners 2022 – Youthhood". Life Framer. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  46. ^ "Photographer of the Year 2021 winners revealed – Capture magazine". www.capturemag.com.au. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  47. ^ says, Lance Ross (19 November 2021). "Bluethumb Art Prize 2021 Winners Just Announced! – Art Prizes". Bluethumb Online Art Gallery – Blog. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  48. ^ "Andrew Rovenko AUS | HOME". klpa. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  49. ^ "Andrew Rovenko | Shortlist of "CHILDREN" | IMA next – International Photo Competition". IMA next. Retrieved 4 July 2022.