Manuela Thames is a photographic artist based in Saint Paul, where she lives with her husband and two children. Born and raised in Germany, she moved to the United States in 2004 after marrying her American husband. Shortly thereafter, she began pursuing photography more intentionally, partly shaped by two life-changing events that occurred within a single year: the birth of her first son and the death of her brother.
Largely self-taught, Manuela uses various photographic techniques to explore themes of loss and grief, generational trauma, belonging, connection, and what it means to be human. Her work often examines the ways people cope with suffering, the resilience that can emerge through pain, and the universal longing for healing and wholeness. Much of her photography consists of black-and-white conceptual self-portraits, though in recent years her practice has expanded into multiple exposures, diptychs, collage work, and the combination of words and images.
Her photography has been described as contemplative, evocative, and cinematic, and has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. In 2019, her Trauma series received 1st Place Conceptual Series of the Year in the Monovisions Awards, and that same year she won the Julia Margaret Cameron Award in the Self-Portrait category. Her work has also been published both online and in print in publications including Black and White Magazine, AAP Magazine, The Sun, Dodho Magazine, and Shots Magazine.
In addition to photography, Manuela writes and publishes a weekly newsletter on Substack titled “UNDONE” where she reflects on art, creativity, the creative process, and the complexities of being human. You can subscribe for free HERE !
She teaches workshops both privately and through organizations such as Santa Fe Workshops, SE Center for Photography, Maine Media Workshops + College and Los Angeles Center of Photography. She also offers mentoring for artists and photographers.
Select Exhibitions and Publications
Awards and Recognitions:
2024 | Siena Creative Photo Awards, Category Series, Commended
2024 | 24th Julia Margaret Cameron Award, Category Portrait Series, Honorable Mention
2024 | Particular Merit Award Portrait Edition, AAP Magazine #40
2022 | 18th Julia Margaret Cameron Award, Self Portrait Category Series, Honorable Mention
2022 | All About Photo.com, Solo Exhibition June, Finalist
2021 | 17th Julia Margaret Cameron Award, Portrait Category Series, Honorable Mention
2021 | Honorable Mention, Praxis Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. “The Beauty in Madness”, juried group exhibition
2021 | All About Photo.com, Special Mention Solo Exhibition May 2021 |
2021 | Creative Photo Awards, Siena Awards, Shortlisted
2019 | Gold Award San Francisco Bay International Photography Competition and Exhibition
2019 | Mono Visions Photography Award, Black and White Conceptual Photo Series of the year, 1st place
2019 | 13th Julia Margaret Cameron Award Self Portrait Category Series Winner
2018 | 11th Edition of Julia Margaret Cameron Award, Self Portrait Finalist
2016 | Black And White Magazine Portfolio Contest Spotlight Award
2015 | Honorable Mention, "Fine Art", B&W Child Photography: 2nd Annual International Photo Contest
2015 | Honorable Mention, "Portraits", B&W Child Photography: 2nd Annual International Photo Contest
Print Publications:
2024| FotoNostrum Magazine, Winners of 24th Julia Margaret Cameron Award
2024 I AAP Magazine #40 Portrait Edition
2024 I The Winged Moon, Literary Magazine, Print Edition 1
2022 | Glasgow Gallery of Photography, International Open Call Part 1
2021 | Shots Magazine (Spring Issue)
2020 | Book Cover “Sous Lex Saux Noires” by Lori Roy (Novel), French Edition
2020 | Book Cover “Quelqu'un de bien” by Francois Boudin (Novel) (French Edition), published by Belfont Press
2019 | Peculiars Magazine, Anatomy of Melancholy, Issue 2
2019 | New Mexico’s Art Magazine “Pasatiempo”, Interview and Feature
2018 | Book Cover, How To Be A Sinner by Peter Bouteneff, published by St. Vladimirs Seminary Press
2018 | (Winter) Shots Magazine #138 Feature and Interview
2017 | Album Cover “Notre From Here” Minneapolis band
2017 | (April) Black And White magazine Feature and Interview
2016 | (October) SUN magazine
2016 | Cover of Aina, a novel published by Book Hill Publication, Kathmandu, Nepal
2015 | Minneapolis Photo Center Exhibition Book
2015 | PhotoPlaceGallery "Open Call" Exhibition Catalog
2013 | PhotoPlaceGallery "Selfportrait" Exhibition Catalogue
Online Publications:
2024 I Anthrow Circus, Article “How To (Maybe) Be OK When Things Are Not OK”
2023 I One Twelve Publishing, Feature and Interview “Torn” Series
2021 | All About Photo. Com Special Mention Solo Exhibition May 2021
2021 | Dodho Magazine, Article “Protest’s after George Floyd’s Murder”
2021 | Anthrow Circus, Article “View From A Pandemic: A Journal Entry, Quarantine Day 12”
2020 | Anthrow Circus, Article “View From A Pandemic: Europeans In America”
2017 I Anthrow Circus, Article “Standing Rock. What It Taught Us”
2016 | Feature and Interview Adore Noir Magazine
2015 | Feature and Interview www.fragmentory.org
2015 | Feature in juried Group exhibition F-Stop Magazine Issue # 74
2015 | 7th edition of the Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers, Finalist Category Children
2015 | Lens Culture Exposure Awards, Competition Gallery
2013 | PhotoPlaceGallery "Selfportrait" Online Annex
Exhibitions:
2024 | “I Wonder If You Can” Exhibition, Winners Of Siena Creative Photo Awards, Artistic High School “Duccio di Buoninsegna” | Piazza Madre Teresa di Calcutta, 2 | Siena, Italy
2022 | Glasgow Gallery of Photography, International Open Call Part 1, Glasgow, Scotland
2022 | Praxis Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. “Transience”, juried group exhibition
2022 | PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT. “Dreams and Imaginings”, juried group exjibition
2021 | Praxis Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. “The Beauty in Madness”, juried group exhibition
2021 | Praxis Gallery, Minneapolis, MN. “Mono-Chromatik”, juried group exhibition
2021 | University of Minnesota, Hubbard School of Journalism, Minneapolis, MN. “Documenting and Reckoning/ The Murder of George Floyd”, juried group exhibition.
2020 | Blue Spiral Gallery, Ashville, NC, Group Exhibition “She”, five prints
2019 | Invitation for CENTER’S Annual Review Santa Fe Photo Festival, October
2019 | ACCI Gallery, Berkley California, San Francisco Bay International Photography Competition and Exhibition
2019 | Center Santa Fe and Currents New Media, “Shifting Perspectives, Invited for a collaborative photography exhibition,
2019 | Blue Spiral Gallery, Ashville, North Carolina, “SHE”, Invited for the all women show featuring artists who create works of women or about women.
2019 | The Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, Colorado, Black and White juried group exhibition
2018 | Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, Colorado. Black and White juried group exhibition
2018 | Photo Place Gallery, Middlebury, VT. “Black and White 2018 | ”, juried group exhibition.
2018 | 5th Biennial of Fine Art & Documentary Photography, Barcelona, Spain.
2016 | White Center for the Art, White Bear Lake MN. "Self Portrait" group exhibition, curated by Douglas Beasley
2016 | Amore Coffee, Saint Paul MN. "Self Portrait" solo exhibition
2015 | Minneapolis Photo Center, Minneapolis MN. "Portraits" juried group exhibition.
2015 | PhotoPlaceGallery, Middlebury, VT. "Open Call" juried group exhibition.
2015 | Gallery 360, Minneapolis, MN. Five Foot Show as part of the 15th Anniversary celebration.
2013 | Homewood Studios, Minneapolis, MN. "The Transparent Self" juried group exhibition
2013 | Flow Art Space, Saint Paul, MN. "Me, Myself and Eye" juried group exhibition.
2013 | Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR. "Shades of Gray" juried group exhibition.
2013 | Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR. "Photo Salon" juried group exhibition.
2013 | Trotter’s Café, St. Paul, MN. "Community Art Show" juried group exhibition.
2007 | South Bend CRC Atrium Gallery, South Bend, IN. Solo exhibition.