Lilli Waters is a Melbourne based award-winning photographer & director working across fine art, still life, fashion & commercial based practices. Her fine art work explores the human condition through the feminine form – the tension between strength and vulnerability, darkness and luminosity. Her images are haunting, dramatic and evocative – story landscapes that invite the viewer to become the subject and connect with the themes explored deep within.
Lilli’s otherworldly images have appeared in countless publications and been exhibited globally to great acclaim - including Harpers Bazaar, Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Belle, Real Living, Jane by the Grey Attic and To Be Magazine (Aus), Art Aesthetica (UK),, Il Fotografo Magazine (Italy), Austrian Living (Austria), and The Opera and Pétala Magazine (Germany) – as well as appeared in feature films, including Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed (USA). She was recognised as one of the world’s best photographers by Lürzers Archive, Austria.
Her clients include Mercedes-Benz, Harpers Bazaar, Mimco, UNIQLO, Bloomberg, Helen Kaminski, Tourism Tasmania, Pernod Ricard, HarperCollins, Voyager, Frank Green, Deadly Ponies & UMENCO,.
Her work has been exhibited to much acclaim in Italy, Germany, Japan, the UK, the USA, and Australia. She was winner of the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize (2022), Du Reitz Art Award (2021), and has been a finalist in the Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize (2022 and 2021), Australian Photography Awards (2022, 2020, 2019 and 2018), Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Art (2022 & 2021), Fisher’s Ghost Art Award (2020), Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize (2022 & 2020), Du Reitz Art Awards (2020), Percival Photographic Art Prize (2020), National Portrait Prize (2019), Australian Photography Awards (2018) and Art Aesthetica Art Award (2018), to name a few.
Lilli is highly experienced in directing talent to create story, and has recently been extending her work into film, directing emotive short films and music videos.
CONTACT Art, still life & fashion
Lilli’s otherworldly images have appeared in countless publications and been exhibited globally to great acclaim - including Harpers Bazaar, Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Belle, Real Living, Jane by the Grey Attic and To Be Magazine (Aus), Art Aesthetica (UK),, Il Fotografo Magazine (Italy), Austrian Living (Austria), and The Opera and Pétala Magazine (Germany) – as well as appeared in feature films, including Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed (USA). She was recognised as one of the world’s best photographers by Lürzers Archive, Austria.
Her clients include Mercedes-Benz, Harpers Bazaar, Mimco, UNIQLO, Bloomberg, Helen Kaminski, Tourism Tasmania, Pernod Ricard, HarperCollins, Voyager, Frank Green, Deadly Ponies & UMENCO,.
Her work has been exhibited to much acclaim in Italy, Germany, Japan, the UK, the USA, and Australia. She was winner of the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize (2022), Du Reitz Art Award (2021), and has been a finalist in the Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize (2022 and 2021), Australian Photography Awards (2022, 2020, 2019 and 2018), Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Art (2022 & 2021), Fisher’s Ghost Art Award (2020), Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize (2022 & 2020), Du Reitz Art Awards (2020), Percival Photographic Art Prize (2020), National Portrait Prize (2019), Australian Photography Awards (2018) and Art Aesthetica Art Award (2018), to name a few.
Lilli is highly experienced in directing talent to create story, and has recently been extending her work into film, directing emotive short films and music videos.
CONTACT Art, still life & fashion
Represented in Australia by based in Melbourne, Australia
SAMIAM.COM.AU For prints or other enquiries
For booking enquiries lilli@lilliwaters.com
contact Rich Cole +61 426 973 920
rich@samiam.com.au instagram
+61 492 886 807
SAMIAM.COM.AU For prints or other enquiries
For booking enquiries lilli@lilliwaters.com
contact Rich Cole +61 426 973 920
rich@samiam.com.au instagram
+61 492 886 807
Clients include
Mercedes-BenzHarpers Bazaar
Mimco
UNIQLO
Bloomberg
Helen Kaminski
Tasmania Tourism
Pernod Ricard
HarperCollins
Voyager
Frank Green
Deadly Ponies
UMENCO
Awards
2022Finalist Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Art
Finalist Julia Margaret Cameron Award
Finalist TACIT Still Life Prize
Finalist Australian Photography Awards
Winner 2nd Prize Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize Photography Award
Finalist Environmental Art & Design Prize
Finalist Du Rietz Art Awards
Finalist Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize
Finalist Percival Photographic Portrait Prize
2021
Finalist Iris Award, Perth Centre for Photography
Winner Du Rietz Art Award
Awarded 200 Best Ad Photographers Worldwide 2021/2022, Lürzer’s Archive
Finalist Naked & Nude Art Prize
Finalist x 2 Du Rietz Art Awards
Finalist Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize
Finalist Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Art
2020
Finalist x 3 Australian Photography Awards
Honourable Mention International Photography Awards
Finalist Photo Oxford Festival
Finalist Fisher’s Ghost Art Award
Finalist Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize
Highly Commended The Mono Awards
Finalist Du Rietz Art Awards
Finalist Percival Photographic Portrait Prize
Finalist Biennal Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize
2019
Honourable mention Budapest International Photo Awards
Finalist Australian Photography Awards
Finalist Now Contemporary Art Prize
Finalist Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize
Finalist Iris Awards, PCP
Commended The Mono Awards
Finalist Incinerator Art Award
Highly Commended Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographers Awards
Finalist National Photographic Portrait Prize
2018
Finalist Australian Photography Awards
Finalist Art Aesthetica Art Award
2017
Finalist Contemporary Art Awards
Finalist National Still Life Award
Finalist Click 17, Brunswick St Gallery
Semi-Finalist Head On Portrait Prize
2015
Semi-Finalist Head On Portrait Prize
2013
Finalist Head On Portrait Prize
Highly Commended Qantas Soya Award
2012
Highly Commended, Doug Moran National Contemporary Photographic Prize
Semi-Finalist x 2, Doug Moran National Contemporary Photographic Prize
Highly Commended Qantas Soya Award
2011
Winner Focus Project People’s Choice
In Print Publications
2022Beautiful Bizarre Magazine
Harpers Bazaar, Australia
Marie Claire, Australia
Il Fotografo Magazine, Italy
JANE by the Grey Attic ~ issue 11, Australia
Real Living Magazine, Australia
2021
Marie Claire, Australia
Lürzer’s Archive, Magazine, Austria
Pétala Magazine, Germany
Normal Magazine, France
Real Living Magazine, Australia
JANE by the Grey Attic ~ issue 9, Australia
‘Mass Isolation Australia’ publication, Ballarat International Foto Biennale, Australia
2020
Belle Magazine, Australia
JANE by the Grey Attic ~ issue 8, Australia
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Australia
2019
Belle Magazine, Australia
Austrian Living Magazine, Austria
The Opera Magazine Vol. VIII, Germany
Vogue Living Magazine, Australia
2018
Capture Magazine, Australia
Noblesse China Magazine, China
Photo Essay ‘Nature and Human Beings’ Future Now, 100 Contemporary Artists, USA
Real Living Magazine, Australia
2017
Das Magazin, USA
The Opera Magazine Vol. VI, Germany
The Age, Sunday Life, Australia
2016
Australian House & Garden Magazine, Australia
Art Aesthetica Magazine, UK
2015
Elle Magazine, Australia
The Opera Magazine Vol. III, Germany
2014
Fine Line Magazine, USA
2013
The Modern and Contemporary Art, France
Online Publications
2023Artist in Residence: Assembly Label
2022
Beautiful Bizarre
Cake Magazine
Pageone Magazine
Carton Magazine
Hunter and Folk
The Design Files
2021
Schön! Magazine
Lenscratch
Contemporary Art Collectors
Beware Magazine
2020
Vogue Living
The Design Files
Hunter & Folk
2019
Art Thy Neighbour
Modern Times Journal
The Age
The Design Files
2018
Feature Shoot
Vogue Living
2016
Juxtapoz, USA
2015
Art Aesthetica
2014
iGNANT, Germany
This is Paper, Poland
GUP
Clik Clik, France
2012
Empty Kingdom, USA
Solo Exhibitions
2023Upcoming
Curatorial & Co. Gallery, Sydney
2022
Orpheus
Curatorial & Co. Gallery, Sydney
Orpheus
Metro Gallery, Melbourne
2020
Disenchantments of the World
Curatorial & Co. Gallery, Sydney
Virtual Anthropocene: The Age of Humans Curatorial & Co. Gallery
2019
Reawaken Craig’s Royal Hotel in collaboration with the Ballarat International Foto Bienanale, VIC
Untitled Metro Gallery, Melbourne
Others Dream Modern Times, Melbourne
Things of Fire and Ash, Remembered Victoria Police Museum, Melbourne
2018
Coral Lands Saint Cloche Gallery, Sydney
2017
Plastic Fish Junior Space, Melbourne
2015
Anja Red Gallery, Melbourne
2013
Things of Fire and Ash Victoria Police Museum, Melbourne
2012
She Raw Edmund Pearce Gallery, Melbourne
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Art, Monselvat, VIC
19th Julia Margaret Cameron Award Exhibition, FotoNustrum Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2022
APA Awards, Bodriggy Brewpub, Melbourne
Darlings Curatorial & Co. Gallery, Sydney
Halcyon Days, Modern Eden Gallery, San Franciso, California, USA
Environmental Art & Design Prize, Manly Art Gallery & Museum, NSW
Du Rietz Art Awards, Gympie Regional Gallery, QLD
Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize,
Ravenswood School For Girls, NSW
Percival Photographic Portrait Prize,
Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, QLD
2021
Darlings Curatorial & Co. Gallery, Sydney
Naked & Nude Art Prize, Manning Regional Art Gallery, NSW
Flora, Heritage Hill Museum and Historic Gardens, City of Greater Dandenong, VIC
Art in the Plague Year UCR Arts, California Museum of Photography, USA
Ilford CCP Salon, CCP, Melbourne
2020
Between Today and Tomorrow online exhibition
Darlings Curatorial & Co. Gallery, Sydney
The Laneway Gallery in collaboration with Jane by the Grey Attic & Melbourne GPO
Women and Photography: Ways of Seeing and Being Seen OVADA Gallery, Photo Oxford Festival, UK
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre, NSW
ICP Concerned: Global images for Global crisis
International Center of Photograph New York, USA
Talismans, Rafts, Mementos, Modern Times, Melbourne
Here With Me, Curatorial & Co. Gallery, Sydney
Du Rietz Art Award, Gympie Regional Gallery, QLD
Percival Portrait Priz, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville
Loud and Luminous, Contact Sheet Gallery, Sydney
These Days: Works in Isolation Virtual Exhibition
2019
Summer Group Exhibition
Metro Gallery, Melbourne
Ritual Practice, Modern Times, Melbourne
Rose Rouge Kaisu, Tokyo, Japan
Midyear Selection Exhibitio, Metro Gallery, Melbourne
Loud & Luminous, Head On Photo Festival
Contact Sheet Gallery, Sydney
Chapter One with Sam I Am, Pix on Location, Sydney
Winter Group Exhibitio, Metro Gallery, Melbourne
National Photographic Portrait Prize
National Portrait Gallery, NSW, touring Nationally
Sun Celebrates Her Sun Studios, Melbourne
Her Wild Dreaming
Schoolhouse Studios, Melbourne
Fifty Squared Art Prize
Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
2018
PCP Collective Perth Centre for Photography
ILFORD CCP Salon, Contemporary Centre of Photography, Melbourne
Summer Group Exhibition Metro Gallery, Melbourne
The Luxury of Landscape, Pilazzo Pandolfini, Tuscany, Italy
The Last Line of Defenc, Besser Space, Melbourne
Candyland for CanTeen Art Auction NAB Graduate Fundraiser, Melbourne
Hyper 222 Roslyn Gallery, Melbourne
Contemporary Art Awards, Sydney
STILL National Still Life Award
Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, NSW
2017
Her Way 5 Rankins Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2016
BlümchenSex Palmengarten, Frankfurt, Germany
Phantom Paradise, Saint Cloche Gallery, Sydney
2015
Keeping Company: Saltwate, Manly Art Gallery, Sydney
Unreal Head On Photo Festiva, M2 Gallery, Sydney
2014
Head On Photo Festival, Sydney
2013
Art in Mind The Brick Lane Gallery, London
2013
Head On Photo Festival State Library of NSW