Toma Gerzha (b. 2003) grew up in Moscow, Kolchugino, Lukhovitsy, and still speaks Russian language. Her family moved to the Netherlands in 2009.
She has successfully completed her Photography Studies at the Dutch Academy for Visual Creation in 2019. Gerzha first garnered attention in the gallery world with her project ‘.ru’, featuring photographic works generated through artificial intelligence, which was presented in 2024 at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Toma has become widely known for her animation-based reels. Currently she studies Art History at the University of Amsterdam.
Her works are in collection of Cultural Association MoCA, Saint Petersburg State University, Farm Cultural Park, Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts.
Since 2023, Gerzha is an artist-resident at the creative studio Treehouse, located on the NDSM-Wharf in Amsterdam.
She has successfully completed her Photography Studies at the Dutch Academy for Visual Creation in 2019. Gerzha first garnered attention in the gallery world with her project ‘.ru’, featuring photographic works generated through artificial intelligence, which was presented in 2024 at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Toma has become widely known for her animation-based reels. Currently she studies Art History at the University of Amsterdam.
Her works are in collection of Cultural Association MoCA, Saint Petersburg State University, Farm Cultural Park, Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts.
Since 2023, Gerzha is an artist-resident at the creative studio Treehouse, located on the NDSM-Wharf in Amsterdam.
Bibliography
2024
Control Refresh, The Eriskay Connection (ISBN: 978-94-93363-04-5)
Filmography
2025
Coldplay: A Film For The Future, co-dir. Toma Gerzha
2024
Jogo Cruzado (01, 12), dir. Toma Gerzha
Grants & awards
2024
Student Jury Selection, De Best Verzorgde Boeken
Shortlist, Paris Photo-Aperture First PhotoBook Award
Winner, Paris Photo: Carte Blanche Etudiants
Nominee, Redkollegia Award of May
2023
Finalist, Castelfiorentino Prize for the Arts
Juror’s Pick, OD Photo Prize
Finalist, Paris Photo: Carte Blanche Etudiants
Winner, Fotografia Calabria Award
Finalist, Encontros da Imagem: Discovery Awards
Honorable mention, CitiesToBe Photo Award
Winner, Rotterdam Photo Festival: Best Exhibition Award
Winner, TPF: Social Documentary Photography Awards
Winner, Arte Laguna Special Prize’17
Residencies
2023 - 2026: Treehouse, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
2023: Farm Cultural Park, Mazzarino (Italy)
Lectures, workshops & open studios
2025
Artist Talk about ‘Control Refresh’ for Zefir7, The Hague, Netherlands
2024
Artist Talk about ‘Control Refresh’ for FOTODOK, Utrecht, Netherlands
Artist Talk about ‘Control Refresh’ and ‘.ru’ for Paris Photo, France
2023
OPEN ATELIERS AMSTERDAM-NOORD, Treehouse, Amsterdam, Netherlands
NDSM OPEN, Treehouse, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Artist Talk about ‘Family Tree’ for Inaugural Conferences of Countless Cities, Italy
24H NOORD: OPEN STUDIOS, Treehouse, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Artist Talk about ‘ctrl+r’ project for Rotterdam Photo Festival, Netherlands
Exhibitions & festivals (selected)
2025
REGENERATION Z, Photo Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland
CONTROL REFRESH, De Gang, Haarlem, Netherlands (solo)
BEING TWENTY, Fotografia Europea, Reggio Emilia, Italy
PARIS PHOTO–APERTURE PHOTOBOOK AWARDS, Leipzig Photobook Festival, Leipzig, Germany
PARIS PHOTO–APERTURE PHOTOBOOK AWARDS, Printed Matter, New York, US
2024
YOUNG PORTFOLIO, Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts, Kiyosato, Japan
CARTE BLANCHE ETUDIANTS, Paris Photo, Paris, France
FAR AWAY FROM HOME, 9:16 Gallery, Porto, Portugal (solo)
MANIFESTA’15, Barcelona, Spain
RIETVELD UNCUT, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
MUTANTX, Biennale de l’Image Possible, Liège, Belgium
2023
REGENERATE, Noorderlicht Fotofestival, Groningen, Netherlands
HEAD ON PHOTO FESTIVAL, Delmar Gallery, Sydney, Australia
OD PHOTO PRIZE, Photobook Café, London, UK
EI: DISCOVERY AWARDS, Encontros da Imagem, Braga, Portugal
KVARTIRKA, Upscale Galerie, Rotterdam, Netherlands (solo)
FAMILY TREE, Farm Cultural Park, Mazzarino, Italy (solo)
PAST & PRESENT, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany
DOCA, IGUMO, Moscow, Russia
ARTE LAGUNA PRIZE’17, Arsenale Nord, Venice, Italy
LIEBEN BELEBT, Smol Gallery, Saint Petersburg, Russia
CTRL+R, Rotterdam Photo, Rotterdam, Netherlands (solo)
АДРЕСА(Н)ТЫ, Pentagon, Vorkuta, Russia
2022
SPIEL ALLEIN, Gallery 46, London, UK
8x12, FLOOR_, Seoul, South Korea
NAMELESS PEOPLE, NAMELESS COUNTRY, C-LAB, Amsterdam, Netherlands (solo)
Fairs
2024
TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR, Tokyo, Japan
DRUK, Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
PARIS PHOTO: PHOTOBOOK FAIR, Paris, France
POLYCOPIES, Paris, France
BREDAPHOTO FESTIVAL: BOOKSHOP, Breda, Netherlands
ANTWERP ACADEMY ART BOOK FAIR, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium
UNSEEN: PHOTOBOOK FAIR, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2023
POLYCOPIES, Paris, France
ART EXPLOSION, Assen, Netherlands
THE LAST BATH, Badhuis Oedipus, Amsterdam, Netherlands
FORMAT23: THE PERFORMING PHOTOBOOK, Derby Museum on The Wardwick, Derby, UK
Screenings
2024
180 MEDIA ACADEMY, Porto/Post/Doc Film & Media Festival, Porto, Portugal
RENCONTRES PHOTOGRAPHIE, Marrakech, Morocco
GASTREET SHOW, Sochi, Russia
NUR NOW, The multimedia historical park, Kazan, Russia
2023
PAST & PRESENT, ZIRKA, Munich, Germany
BECOMING MONUMENTAL, Autograph’s Gallery, London, UK
Selected publications
Harper’s Bazaar Italia, ELLE Italia, Rolling Stone Italia, Meduza, Aperture, Takie Dela, De Volkskrant, Marie Claire Belgique, ELLE Korea, Le Soir, British Journal of Photography
Selected clients
Polaroid, Microsoft, Kaiber, Parlophone Records, Ne naprasno, Universal Music Group, Dualtone Records, Anton tut ryadom, Warner Records, Promised Land Music, Sony Music France, Nationale Opera & Ballet, Animatsia i Kinofilmi
Education
BA Art History
· University of Amsterdam, 2026
BA (Hons) Photography
· Gerrit Rietveld Academie, 2024
· University of Arts London, 2023
Photography Studies
· Dutch Academy for Visual Creation, 2019
2024
Control Refresh, The Eriskay Connection (ISBN: 978-94-93363-04-5)
Filmography
2025
Coldplay: A Film For The Future, co-dir. Toma Gerzha
2024
Jogo Cruzado (01, 12), dir. Toma Gerzha
Grants & awards
2024
Student Jury Selection, De Best Verzorgde Boeken
Shortlist, Paris Photo-Aperture First PhotoBook Award
Winner, Paris Photo: Carte Blanche Etudiants
Nominee, Redkollegia Award of May
2023
Finalist, Castelfiorentino Prize for the Arts
Juror’s Pick, OD Photo Prize
Finalist, Paris Photo: Carte Blanche Etudiants
Winner, Fotografia Calabria Award
Finalist, Encontros da Imagem: Discovery Awards
Honorable mention, CitiesToBe Photo Award
Winner, Rotterdam Photo Festival: Best Exhibition Award
Winner, TPF: Social Documentary Photography Awards
Winner, Arte Laguna Special Prize’17
Residencies
2023 - 2026: Treehouse, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
2023: Farm Cultural Park, Mazzarino (Italy)
Lectures, workshops & open studios
2025
Artist Talk about ‘Control Refresh’ for Zefir7, The Hague, Netherlands
2024
Artist Talk about ‘Control Refresh’ for FOTODOK, Utrecht, Netherlands
Artist Talk about ‘Control Refresh’ and ‘.ru’ for Paris Photo, France
2023
OPEN ATELIERS AMSTERDAM-NOORD, Treehouse, Amsterdam, Netherlands
NDSM OPEN, Treehouse, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Artist Talk about ‘Family Tree’ for Inaugural Conferences of Countless Cities, Italy
24H NOORD: OPEN STUDIOS, Treehouse, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Artist Talk about ‘ctrl+r’ project for Rotterdam Photo Festival, Netherlands
Exhibitions & festivals (selected)
2025
REGENERATION Z, Photo Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland
CONTROL REFRESH, De Gang, Haarlem, Netherlands (solo)
BEING TWENTY, Fotografia Europea, Reggio Emilia, Italy
PARIS PHOTO–APERTURE PHOTOBOOK AWARDS, Leipzig Photobook Festival, Leipzig, Germany
PARIS PHOTO–APERTURE PHOTOBOOK AWARDS, Printed Matter, New York, US
2024
YOUNG PORTFOLIO, Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts, Kiyosato, Japan
CARTE BLANCHE ETUDIANTS, Paris Photo, Paris, France
FAR AWAY FROM HOME, 9:16 Gallery, Porto, Portugal (solo)
MANIFESTA’15, Barcelona, Spain
RIETVELD UNCUT, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
MUTANTX, Biennale de l’Image Possible, Liège, Belgium
2023
REGENERATE, Noorderlicht Fotofestival, Groningen, Netherlands
HEAD ON PHOTO FESTIVAL, Delmar Gallery, Sydney, Australia
OD PHOTO PRIZE, Photobook Café, London, UK
EI: DISCOVERY AWARDS, Encontros da Imagem, Braga, Portugal
KVARTIRKA, Upscale Galerie, Rotterdam, Netherlands (solo)
FAMILY TREE, Farm Cultural Park, Mazzarino, Italy (solo)
PAST & PRESENT, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany
DOCA, IGUMO, Moscow, Russia
ARTE LAGUNA PRIZE’17, Arsenale Nord, Venice, Italy
LIEBEN BELEBT, Smol Gallery, Saint Petersburg, Russia
CTRL+R, Rotterdam Photo, Rotterdam, Netherlands (solo)
АДРЕСА(Н)ТЫ, Pentagon, Vorkuta, Russia
2022
SPIEL ALLEIN, Gallery 46, London, UK
8x12, FLOOR_, Seoul, South Korea
NAMELESS PEOPLE, NAMELESS COUNTRY, C-LAB, Amsterdam, Netherlands (solo)
Fairs
2024
TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR, Tokyo, Japan
DRUK, Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
PARIS PHOTO: PHOTOBOOK FAIR, Paris, France
POLYCOPIES, Paris, France
BREDAPHOTO FESTIVAL: BOOKSHOP, Breda, Netherlands
ANTWERP ACADEMY ART BOOK FAIR, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium
UNSEEN: PHOTOBOOK FAIR, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2023
POLYCOPIES, Paris, France
ART EXPLOSION, Assen, Netherlands
THE LAST BATH, Badhuis Oedipus, Amsterdam, Netherlands
FORMAT23: THE PERFORMING PHOTOBOOK, Derby Museum on The Wardwick, Derby, UK
Screenings
2024
180 MEDIA ACADEMY, Porto/Post/Doc Film & Media Festival, Porto, Portugal
RENCONTRES PHOTOGRAPHIE, Marrakech, Morocco
GASTREET SHOW, Sochi, Russia
NUR NOW, The multimedia historical park, Kazan, Russia
2023
PAST & PRESENT, ZIRKA, Munich, Germany
BECOMING MONUMENTAL, Autograph’s Gallery, London, UK
Selected publications
Harper’s Bazaar Italia, ELLE Italia, Rolling Stone Italia, Meduza, Aperture, Takie Dela, De Volkskrant, Marie Claire Belgique, ELLE Korea, Le Soir, British Journal of Photography
Selected clients
Polaroid, Microsoft, Kaiber, Parlophone Records, Ne naprasno, Universal Music Group, Dualtone Records, Anton tut ryadom, Warner Records, Promised Land Music, Sony Music France, Nationale Opera & Ballet, Animatsia i Kinofilmi
Education
BA Art History
· University of Amsterdam, 2026
BA (Hons) Photography
· Gerrit Rietveld Academie, 2024
· University of Arts London, 2023
Photography Studies
· Dutch Academy for Visual Creation, 2019