April 6, 2015

Clarissa Bonet has been selected for this year’s Photo District News 30. Bonet is a graduate of the UCF School of Visual Arts & Design’s Photography program.

The editors of PDN selected Bonet from a field of more than 300 photographers from around the world. Criteria for becoming one of PDN’s 30 was to be actively shooting professionally for at least five years with work that “demonstrated a distinctive vision, creativity, and versatility.”

After graduating from UCF with her B.S. in Photography in 2008, Bonet attended Columbia College Chicago where she earned an M.F.A. in 2012.

She created the series ‘City Space’ while in Chicago, where she lives and works. Her current work explores aspects of the urban space in both a physical and psychological context.  Her work has been exhibited nationally, internationally, and resides in the collections of The Museum of Contemporary Photography’s MPP collection, The Southeast Museum of Photography, and The Haggerty Museum.

Recently, she received the Chicago Individual Artist Grant and was curated into a group show at Aperture Foundation Gallery. Her work has been featured on CNN Photos, Feature Shoot, Lenscratch, and many other notable online publications.

“Clarissa Bonet was an exemplary student who graduated in 2008. She’s been very active ever since and in addition to the PDN honor, she has just signed with Catharine Edelman Gallery in Chicago. It’s rewarding to hear of students doing so well and it’s a great reflection on SVAD and all that it has to offer,” says Laine Wyatt, Associate Professor of Art & Photography.

Additional examples of Bonet’s work can be found at clarissabonet.com.