Biography

 Kai Löffelbein(born in 1981), is a freelance photographer from Germany. After he studied political science in Berlin, he began his studies of “Photojournalism and Documentary Photography” in 2008 at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hannover. Since 2007, he has been working as a freelance photographer for different NGOs and several German newspapers.

Kai Löffelbein traveled through various countries in South America, Asia and Eastern Europe. In doing so, the art of photography provided him with insights into completely different ways of life and living conditions. Meeting people who have to fight for survival on a daily basis raised his desire to grab his viewers’ attention and make them take action. His images furthermore show the effects of socio-political and economic processes on common people.

Kai Löffelbein feels committed to Concerned Photography. “My images always take sides. Their aim is not only to draw people’s attention to various social grievances but also to make us realize our own responsibility in a globalized world”, says the photographer.

“My aim is to treat people with respect and the utmost empathy without displaying poverty and suffering for the purpose of sensationalism. The human being in all its complexity is always at the heart of my work.”

His photos were exhibited, for example, in Brussels, London and Moscow as well as several times in Germany.

awards

1st Prize - unicef photo of the year award - Dec 2011
1st Prize - Henri Nannen - 2012
1st Prize - Canon Profifoto Award - 2012
1st Prize - Zenith award - 2012
3rd prize - 8th DAYS JAPAN International Awards - 2012
3rd prize - Foto Visura Spotlight 2012 Grant
New York Photo Award winner 2012
Pdn photo annual winner 2012
Px3- Prix de la Photographie, Paris - Honorable Mention 2012
Px3- Prix de la Photographie, Paris - PEOPLE's CHOICE AWARDS Gold -Winner 2012
1st Prize - photo award European Socialists in the Committee of the Regions - 2010
Finalist Travel Photography Scholarship - 2010
3rd Prize Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future" (EVZ) - 2010
Highly Commended - CIWEM’s Environmental Photographer of the Year 2010

nominated

for the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass 2012
for the Foam Paul Huf Award 2012
for PDN's 30 2013

exhibitions

* PHOTOVISA - IV Festival Internacional de Fotografia - Oct 2012, Krasnodar, Russia
* Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Oct 2012, Bonn, Germany
* fotodoks - Festival for contemporary documentary photography - Oct 2012, Munich, Germany
* Ian Parry Scholarship Finalists Show - Sep 2012 - MOTHER, London, UK
* Les Promenades Photographiques - June 2012 - Vendóme, France
* Kolga Tbilisi Photofestival - June 2012 - Tbilisi, Georgia
* Lumix Fotofestival For Young Photojounalism - June 2012 - Hannover, Germany
* New York Photo Festival - May 2012 - New York , USA
* National Science and Technology Museum - E-Waste Ghana – Mar 2012 –Milan, Italy
* Goethe-Institute Moskow - “Tolerance” - Jul 2011 - Moskow, Russia
* Euro Centre (centre for integration)- “Il volto della crisi – the face of crisis” - Jun 2011 -Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
* Unternehmerinnen Zentrum - “witches” - April 2011 - Hannover, Germany
* Gallery J.A. Fischer - “baby hatch" - Feb 2011 - Hannover, Germany
* Brussels Capital Region Parliament - “Search of Solidarity” - Nov 2010 - Brussels, Belgium
* The Air Gallery London - CIWEM’s Environmental Photographer of the Year - Nov 2010 - London, UK
* Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - “At Work”- Jun - Sep 2010 - Dortmund, Germany
* Photofestival Horizonte - Jun 2010 - Zingst, Germany
* Europaeum- „Poverty"“ - University Regensburg Mai 2010 - Regensburg, Germany
* Mouvement Européen-France - „Europe“ - Apr 2010 - Strasbourg , Belgium
* Travelling Exhibition “Forced Laborers in Germany” EU Projekt 2010
* Assembly of European Regions - „Europe on the move. Migration, Integration, Stereotypes“ - Oct 2009 - Brussels, Belgium
* C/O Berlin - “Close Up!” - Mar 2009 - Berlin, Germany
* Foundation Theodor Heuss House - „Dignity“ - Okt 2009 - Mar 2010 - Stuttgart, Germany
* Gallery Alte Feuerwache - „Work“ - Jan- Feb 2009 - Berlin, Germany