Izabella Provan (b. 1993) is a photographer living in Portland, Maine. She received a BFA from the Maine College of Art in 2015. Her images examine privacy, space, censorship, and contradictions in gray areas. Utilizing analog, digital, and experimental processes, Provan is concerned by an isolated existence and makes work that inspects the middle ground in the presence of anticipation, the fear of the unknown. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally by the PhoPa Gallery in Maine, the Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver, Canada, as well as in an innovative exhibition for localhost.gallery. Provan is a recipient of the first MESH Exhibition Grant from the Buschlen Mowatt Nichol Foundation and has been published in publications including Wilt Magazine and Papersafe Magazine. She currently works as the Media Technician for the Maine College of Art & Design.
Instagram: @ableblues
EDUCATION
2015
BFA in Photography with Honors, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
SOLO EXHIBITION
2016
Embargo / O Grab Me, Fuzz Hut, Manchester, NH
TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2020
MESH Exhibition with Gregory Kaplowitz, The Polygon Gallery, FotoFilmic, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2019
Scrapes, with Nathan Bobey, Giant Maine, Portland, ME, Curated by Hannah Adams
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
Past & Present | Der Greif, Pinakothek der Moderne and ZIRKA, Munich, Germany (Upcoming)
2022
Cyclical Translations | Maine College of Art & Design, Portland, ME Curated by Elyse Grams
2021
ACROSS MEDIA | Works by the MECA&D Studio Technicians, Maine College of Art & Design, Portland, ME
2019
New Poetics, From Here On Out & Aviary Gallery, Jamaica Plain, MA
2018
LIMINAL, PhoPa Gallery, Portland, ME
Survey Show, New System Exhibitions, Portland, ME
2017
Photo A Go-Go, Speedwell Gallery, Portland, ME
There Are No Girls on the Internet, localhost Gallery, Minecraft: 162.244.165.111:48849, Curated by Melissa Spitz
Crushed, Brooklyn Dirty Book Fair, Brooklyn, NY Curated by Matthew Leifheit
Alternative Facts, Humble Arts Foundation, Brooklyn, NY
2015
Aggregate, Zand Head Gallery, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
Photo-A-Go-Go, The Bakery Photographic Collective, Westbrook, ME
2014
Merit Show, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
Photo-A-Go-Go, The Bakery Photographic Collective, Westbrook, ME
BFA Show, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
2013
Merit Show, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
BFA Show, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
Who We Are, Nothing Major, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
Photo-A-Go-Go, The Bakery Photographic Collective, Westbrook, ME
2012
BFA Show, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
2021
Catalogue Prize, 3rd and 4th Edition, Passepartout Photo Prize, Rome, Italy
Honorable Mention, Lucie Scholarship Program: Photo Made, Lucie Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
2019
MESH Exhibition Grant, Fotofilmic, Buschlen Mowatt Nichol Foundation, Vancouver, Canada
2014
MECA Award, BFA Show, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
2013-2015
Endowed Scholarship, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
2012-2015
Bob Crew Scholarship, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
2011-2015
President’s Scholarship, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
Lunder Scholarship, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
ONLINE EXHIBITIONS & PRINT PUBLICATIONS
2021
Turn on Your Camera:
→A collaborative project from MassArt Photography MFA Students and their collaborators, Boston, MA, Print
Buildings Well Rot Ceilings Will Crumble, Self Published, Portland, ME, Print
online_zine_01: ÉCHO\\ANXIETÉ, revue (feu), Online
ROCK. Valentine Editions, Online Exhibition
Gibberish One, Gibberish, Brooklyn, NY, Online
2017
ENTER RURAL SCENE, Wash and Fold Press, Print
Other Eden, Papersafe Magazine, Curated by Vivian Ewing, Print
2016
Pressed, The Latent Image, October 28, 2016, Online
Wilt Magazine, Issue 1, Wilt Press, Print
For Your Eyes Only, Self Published, Print
Issue 6 | ORIGINS, Archive Collective Magazine, Online
2015
Self-ie, Ain't Bad Magazine, Issue 10
2014
Upshots of Short Skirts, Self Published, Print
ARTIST TALK
2018
LIMINAL Artist Talk, New System Exhibitions, Portland, ME
RESIDENCIES
2018
MECA Alumni Residency, Portland, ME
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2019-Current
Media Technician, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
2015-2019
Bookseller, Social Media Manager, Longfellow Books, Portland, ME
2015
Photo Assistant to Ben Hoffmann, Portland, ME
Tintype Assistant to Penn Chan, Tintype Event @ Kurier, Portland, ME
2014-2016
Festival Assistant, Bluestocking Film Festival, SPACE Gallery, Portland, ME
2014
Tintype Assistant to Cole Caswell, Common Ground Fair, Unity, ME
2013-2015
Assistant to Bryan Graf and Justin Kirchoff, Open House, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
2012-2015
Photo/Media Tech Assistant, Maine College of Art & Design, Portland, ME