CV

Oksana Zhila

Contact Information

Website: https://oksanazhila.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oksanamikkeli/
Location: Finland, Lahti

Oksana Zhila is a photographer working in the fields of conceptual and fine art photography. She creates psychologically charged images that explore themes of identity, memory, and emotional transformation, constructing visual metaphors that evoke internal psychological landscapes rather than external reality.

She worked as a physician for many years. After emigrating to Finland, she began studying photography, which became both a form of personal transformation and a way of understanding her new reality.

Education: 

• 2025-2026 — Zhukova Photoschool
• 2024 — Course “Author’s photography ’E. Sukhoveeva, V. Khmel photoschool  
• 2024 —Course of photography, Kymenlaakson Opisto, Finland 
• 2024 —Course ’Art photography and contemporary art’ Zhukova Photoshcool 
• 2022 — online course ’Life-style photography’ Denis Persenen 
• 2020 — Elena Karneeva`s online photoschool 
• 2018-2019 — School of visual arts ’Sova ’, Saint-Petersburg 
• 2000 — 2006  — Saint-Peterburg’s Medical State University

Awards:

• Fotoslovo Photography Award 2026 Gold Medal Finalist in the category “Conceptual Photography”, Single Photography
• Fotoslovo Photography Award 2026 Honorable Mention in the category « Black and White “, Single Photography
• 1st place in the category ‘Through fantasy lens” International Festival ’Light and Colour’, Elets, Russia
• Siena Creative Photo Awards 2026 Finalist
• Black And White International Photo Awards Honorable Mention in the category ” Poetic Vision » Seria ’Displaced’
• Black And White International Photo Awards Honorable Mention in the category ” Selfie / Self-Portrait »
• App Magazine #55 — Women 2026 Merit Awards
• Photo Awards Booooooom 2025 Longlist
• KLPA 2025 Autoportrait Experimental Self-Portraiture — Finalist  
• Prix de la Photographie, Paris 2025 Honorable Mention Self-Portrait Category
• Prix de la Photographie, Paris 2025 Honorable Mention Fine Art Category
• Pure Street Photography Awards 2025 Semi Finalists
• Lensculture Editorpicks Portrait 2025
• TIFA 2025 Honorable Mention Self-Portrait Category
• 1839 Silver Contest 2025 Photographer of the Year Contest Category Conceptual
• MonoVisions Awards 2025 Nomination in Portrait (Single) Honorable Mention in portrait category
• Turkiye Mobile Photo Awards 2025 Honorable Mention in the Portrait & Human category
• TIFA 2024 Honorable Mention Fine Art-Portrait Category
• EPEX Photo Awards 2024 Bronze in free subject category
• EPEX Photo Awards 2024 Honorable Mention in free subject category
• EPEX Photo Awards 2024 Honorable Mention in Portrait category   

Exhibitions:

• Limassol Photography Biennale

• International Festival of Surreal and Creative Photography 26.9. — 4.10. 26

• “Light and Colour” festival exhibition, 13-16.8. 2025 Elets, Russia
• Trieste Photo Day 6-30.9.2025 Trieste Airport
• Imagination New eyes 29.11-2.12.2024, Milan, Italy
• Competa photodays 4-6.11.2024, Malaga, Spain
• 3rd Biennale of Black and White Photography 13-18.08.2024,Saint-Petersburg, Russia
• SiderAll’s Virtual Art exhibition ’Art for life’, Helsinki, Finland 06.2024