Francesco Zizola was born in 1962 in Rome, where he studied anthropology. He took up photography as a profession in 1981 and in 1986 devoted himself entirely to photojournalism, taking his first steps at L'Europeo magazine photo desk. His pictures have been published by leading Italian and international newspapers and magazines.

Francesco has been awarded several international prizes, including the World Press Photo of the Year in 1997, eight other category awards in World Press Photo contests, and four Picture of the Year awards.

He has published five books, among which are Iraq, Etats d'enfance and Born Somewhere, an extensive work on the living conditions of children from 27 different countries. In 2006, the Italian film director Liliana Ginanneschi made a documentary on Francesco called Occhio Sensibile (Sensitive Eye).

In 2007, he opened 10b Photography, a Rome-based multipurpose centre for professional photography, featuring a gallery and a digital laboratory. He is a member and co-founder of NOOR picture agency and foundation.

Francesco lives in Rome.

Work showcased at the Milan Image Art Fair

at the ILEX 

Milan May 2011

 

'Shadows' solo exhibition

at MART, Rovereto Immagini Festival

Rovereto, Italy - Aug 2010

 

'Italian photojournalists awarded by the World Press Photo Foundation since 1955'

10b Photography gallery (organizing by Francesco Zizola)

Rome, Italy - March 2010

 

'Ombre di Guerra' collective exhibition

Rotonda della Besana

Milan, Italy - Jan 2010

 

'Consequences by NOOR'

World tour exhibition (Denmark, Spain, Turkey, The Netherlands) 2009-2010

Launched at the United Nations Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009

 

'Born Somewhere'

Studio Eyall & Eldad

Tel Aviv, Israel - Oct 2009

 

NOOR's 'conflicts of interests' group exhibition

War Photo Limited

Dubrovnik, Croatia - Sep 2009

 

'Born Somewhere'

Artefoto festival internazionale di fotogiornalismo

Ancona province, Italy - June 2009

 

'La Guerra in Corpo'

Pisa per la Fotografia 2009 festival.

Museo della Grafica in Pisa, Italy - May 2009

 

'NOOR Group Exhibition'

At la Maison de la Photographie Robert Doisneau

Gentilly, France - Nov. 2008

 

'World Press Photo' Exhibiton

2008 - World Tour

 

'Iraq'

Orvieto fotografia - Italy

March 2008

 

'Altri Mondi' collective exhibition

Rome, Italy, April 6- 29, 2007

Museo di Roma in Trastevere

'Born Somewhere'

Rome, Museo di Roma in Trastevere

Piazza S. Egidio, 2006

'I cento volti dei bambini'

Reggio Emilia, Palazzo Magnani, 2006

Obiettivo Uomo Ambiente featuring "Born Somewhere" 2005

 

'Der Wall'

Galleria Sanat Cecilia, Roma 2006

 

'To Live'

Koroska Gallery of Fine Arts, Slovenj Gradec

Slovenia - 2005

 

Traces & Omens featuring "Aids in Mozambique"

Noorderlicht Photo Festival

2005 - Groningen, The Netherlands

'Deconstruction' Una selezione di stampe in grande formato di Francesco Zizola

FotoGrafia – Festival Internazionale di Roma - Corso Rinascimento, 49 (3° piano)

IV edizione 2005

'Shadows'

Scuola Romana di Fotografia,

2004 - Via degli Ausoni 7/a, Roma

Exhibitions 1995 -2003

- “Les choix d’Henri Cartier Bresson”, photograph included in the inaugural exhibition of the HCB Foundation, Paris, 2003, Barcelona, 2003

- Heirs of 2000, NRW Forum, Dusseldorf, 2000

-  Photopoche, Stati di Infanzia, Fait et Cause, Paris, 1999

- Gallerie FNAC, Paris, 1998-present

- Heirs of 2000/ Unicef, Arengario di Palazzo Reale, Milan. 1997

- Heirs of 2000/Unicef, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome, 1996-1997

- Personal Exhibit within the Festival for Photojournalism, Perpignan, 1995

1st Place, Best Published Picture Story (smaller markets), and
2nd Place, Best Published Picture Story (large markets)
The best of photojournalism , USA, 2009
Honorable Mention, 16th LeadAwards, Germany 2008 
Honorable Mention, Hansel-Mieth Prize, Germany, 2008
One Vision European first prize professional category of One Vision 2007
NPPA 2nd place the Best of Photojournalism 2007
Jury Prize of the 3rd DAYS JAPAN International Photojournalism Awards 2007 
Photo District News Annual Web Winner 2006
Hansel-Mieth Prize 2005, Germany, 2006
Pictures of the Year International, USA, 2006
Second Prize, NPPA Best of Photojournalism, USA, 2005
Special Recognition Award, Alexia Foundation for World Peace, USA, 2004
Honorable Mention, Hansel-Mieth Prize, Germany, 2004
Pictures of the Year, USA, 2003
Honorable Mention, Hansel-Mieth Prize, Germany, 2001
Second prize, Eugene Smith contest, USA, 2000
Pictures of the Year, USA, 1998
Pictures of the Year, USA , 1997
Visa d’Or, France, 1996

World Press Photo www.worldpressphoto.nl

First prize, Portraits Singles 2005
Second prize, Daily Life Stories 2002
First prize, General News 1997
Second prize, General News Stories 1997
World Press Photo of the Year 1996
First prize, People in the News, Stories 1996
First prize, People in the News Stories 1995

Musée Nicéphore Niepce: L’image des quartiers de la ville de Chalon-sur-Saone

MSF
Amnesty International
Community of Sant’Egidio