About Elli Asker
Elli Asker (short for Elnara Askerova) is a self-taught Azerbaijani-Swedish photographer and a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. With roots in Baku and an academic background in political science, she brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective to her visual storytelling—shaped by in-depth knowledge of international migration, ethnic relations, and power structures. These insights deeply inform her photographic practice and visual language, where questions of identity, displacement, and human complexity take center stage.
Through her lens, Asker creates images that both illuminate and challenge societal norms surrounding sexuality, identity, and visibility. Her work often focuses on subtle yet powerful depictions of LGBTQIA+ life, where dignity, intimacy, and resilience are at the forefront.
Internationally recognized, Asker has received prestigious awards such as the Sony World Photography Organization’s Alpha Female Award and the Prix de la Photographie (PX3). Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at Liljevalchs Spring Salon in Stockholm. Her photographs are currently on view at the Hasselblad Photo Salon.
In addition to her artistic practice, Asker leads photography courses and workshops where she shares her passion and knowledge with new generations of image-makers. She is also the initiator of Pride Art—a community-based exhibition project focusing on queer stories and artistic expression.
Elli Asker works from her studio at Saltskog Gård Cultural Association and is a member of both the Swedish Association of Professional Photographers (SFF) and the Center for Photography (CFF). Through her art, she reveals photography’s power—to make the invisible visible, to challenge the viewer’s gaze, and to create dialogue between diverse human experiences.
Education
2016 — 2019 — Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, Södertörn University, Sweden
Solo vs Group Exhibitions
2026 — Solo exhibition “70+” Kretsen Art Gallery, Södertälje (21/11- 6/ 12)
2025 — Pride Art, Kretsen Art Gallery (upcoming) — group exhibition
2025 — Photosalong Hasselblad Foundation, Gothenburg (upcoming). Jury: Pauline Benthede, Global Vice President of Exhibitions, Fotografiska, Eva Dahlgren, renowned Swedish musician and dedicated photographer, Paul Hansen, award-winning photojournalist, Dagens Nyheter, Dragana Vujanovic Östlind, Jury Chair and Chief Curator at the Hasselblad Foundation
2025 — Saltskog Gård — Spring Salong — Members' Exhibition (17/5 — 1/6)
2025 — Liljevalchs Spring Salon, Stockholm (14/2 — 27/4). Jury: Daniel Youssef, Marcia Harvey Isaksson, curator Sandra Weil, and Joanna Sandell Wright, Director of Liljevalchs, serving as jury chair.
2025 — Kretsen Art Gallery, “Climate” — Members' Exhibition, Södertälje
2024 — Centrum for Photography members exhibition
2024 — “The Echo of Time”: Elli Asker & Rolando Pérez, Saltskog Gård, Sweden
2024 — Pride House, Stockholm
2024 — Solo exhibition “Water in Diverse Forms: A Visual Exploration” Kretsen Art Gallery, Sweden
2024 — Solna Art Gallery. Jury-judged Vårsalong
2024 — Strängnäs Art gallery, Jury-judged photography exhibition, Sweden
2024 — Stockholm’s Art Gallery. Jury-judged Vårsalong.
2024 — Zebra Art Gallery, Vårsalong, Sweden.
2023 — Kretsen Art Gallery, “MINI”, Sweden
2023 — Strängnäs Art gallery, Sweden. Jury-judged Autumn salon
2023 — Art Bias, San Carlos, CA, USA. 2023 — Kretsen Art gallery, “New Artists Members”, Sweden
2023 — Sony World Photography Awards 2023 — Somerset House, London, UK
2022 — Paris Photo Prize (PX3) exhibition State of the World, Paris, France
2022 — Trees, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, Vermont, USA /Juror: Wendi Schneider (online)
2022 — Shadows & Light, The Glasgow gallery of photography, Glasgow, UK (online)
2022 — Quiet Landscape, PhotoPlace Gallery, Vermont, USA / Juror: Jacob & Alissa Hessler
2022 — International Photography. The Glasgow gallery of photography, Glasgow, UK
Stipendier
2025 — Stiftelsen Längmanska kulturfonden
Public Collections
Hasselblad Foundation, Gothenburg, Sweden
Awards & Mentions
2024 — Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) — Brons Winner
2024 — Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) — 2 Honorable Mention
2024 — Budapest International Foto Awards (BIFA) — Honorable Mentions
2024 — International Photography Awards (IPA) — Official selection
2023 — Budapest International Foto Awards (BIFA) — Gold Winner
2023 — Budapest International Foto Awards (BIFA) — Honorable Mentions
2023 — International Photography Awards (IPA) — Honorable Mention
2023 — Sony World Photography Awards (SWPA) — Shortlist
2023 — Sony World Photography Awards (SWPA) — Alpha Female Award
2022 — Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) — Silver Winner
2022 — Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) — 2 Honorable Mentions
2022 — Budapest International Foto Awards (BIFA) — 2 Honorable Mentions
2022 — ND Awards — 2 Honorable Mentions
2022 — Prix de la Photographie (PX3) — State of the World, Curator Selection Winner
2022 — International Photography Awards (IPA) — 3-rd Winning Placement
2022 — International Photography Awards (IPA) — Honorable Mention
2022 — reFocus Awards, One Shot Photo Contest, — Honorable Mention and People’s Vote
2022 — International Photography Awards (IPA) — Official Selection
2022 — MonoVisions Photography Awards — 4 Honorable Mentions
2022 — International Photography Awards (IPA) One Shot — Color — Jury Top 5, Honorable Mention
Work Experience
2025 — Curator for Pride Art, Kretsen Art Gallery
2025 — Course Leader for Basic Photography Course, ABF Södertälje-Nykvarn
Membership
- Member of Swedish Centrum for photography (CFF)
- Member of Swedish Association of Professional Photographers (SFF)
- Member of “Saltskog gård Studio and Culture Association”, Sweden
- Member and curator of the Artists' Association “Södertälje Konstnärskrets”
- Former member of European Press Agency (EUPA) 2022-2023
Press
- Feminine Moments, Queer Feminist Art Worldwide, 2024: https://www.femininemoments.dk/blog/elli-asker-artists-statement/
- https://outragemag.com/lgbtqia-art-as-both-personal-and-for-the-community/
- Stockholm Pride: program.stockholmpride.org/sv/events/706/konstnar-elli-asker
- Edge of Humanity Magazine, January 31, 2023
- Aesthetica Magazine, Directory choice, #110, aestheticamagazine.com/profile/elli-asker/
- ArtDoc Photography Magazine, Image & Identity
- Bruxelles Art Vue — Power of Color, 5th edition, Brussels, 2021
- ArtDoc Photography Magazine, www.artdoc.photo/submissions/night-light-in-uppsala, 2022
- Photographic Mercadillo FB — Album of Elli Asker “Ukrainian refugees” 2022