Dina Goldstein facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dina Goldstein
Dina Goldstein at the Prix Virginia in Paris, France.
Born	(1969-12-28) December 28, 1969 (age 55) Tel Aviv, Israel
Nationality	Canadian
Known for	Photographer
Notable work	Fallen Princesses, In The Dollhouse, Gods Of Suburbia
Awards	2016 Sony Awards Short list2016 Arte Laguna Photographic Selection2014 Grand winner Prix Virginia

Dina Goldstein (born 1969) is a visual artist and photographer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She creates special scenes with a deep meaning. Her art shows everyday things in surprising ways to make people think about life.

Dina started her career over 30 years ago as a photojournalist, taking pictures of real events. Later, she became an independent artist, focusing on big, detailed photo stories. Her art makes people think about society. She uses famous characters and symbols from stories to tell new tales about how people live. She often uses a style called pop surrealism. This means she creates images that look a bit dreamlike or unusual. Her goal is to show the hidden parts of modern life. She wants people to question how culture and beliefs affect them.

Dina's art often explores different realities. She asks how we accept made-up stories and characters inspired by ideas, politics, and religion. Her vivid pictures are made using a movie-like process. Dina is most famous for her series "Fallen Princesses," which she made in 2007. This series shows well-known fairy tale princesses in real, modern situations. It imagines what their lives might be like in the real world. The series touches on everyday challenges like health issues or environmental problems. Dina Goldstein has won many awards for her work, including the grand prize at Prix Virginia in 2014. Her art has been shown in many places, including Paris, France.

Early Life and Learning

Dina Goldstein was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. In 1976, she moved to Canada. She studied art history and photography at Langara College in Vancouver, B.C. She finished her studies in 1993.

Dina's Photography Journey

Dina Goldstein started her photography career as a photojournalist. This means she took pictures for news stories and documentaries from 1993 to 2000. After that, she took pictures for magazines and advertising companies until 2009. Her first public art show was "Images of Gaza" in 2001. This show featured black and white photos of people living in the West Bank and Gaza.

Fallen Princesses (2009)

Dina Goldstein's first big photo series, "Fallen Princesses," was shown to the public in 2009. This series has been shown in many art galleries. It was also part of a group show at the BYU Museum of Art. In 2013, it was shown at the Musée De La Femme in Quebec, Canada.

The series includes 10 photographs. They show Disney Princesses and other fairy tale characters in modern settings. Dina uses the bright colors and styles that Walt Disney made famous. Disney built a huge business using these fairy tales. Dina's work questions the idea of "Happily Ever After" that Disney often shows. This idea is taught to children all over the world.

In the Dollhouse (2012)

In this series, Dina Goldstein creates a story for Barbie and Ken dolls. She uses real people as models for the dolls. Dina uses a bright, plastic, pop-surrealist style to tell a story. The series shows a funny and sad story about what it's like to be "plastic." It also explores how being real can bring happiness. In Dina's story, Barbie faces emotional problems. Ken, however, finds his true self and becomes happy.

Gods of Suburbia (2014)

"Gods of Suburbia" is Dina Goldstein's third big project. This work looks at religious faith in today's world. It explores how faith fits in with technology, science, and non-religious ideas. The series uses stories and religious symbols. It shows how organized beliefs can change in a world driven by shopping and wanting more things.

Dina creates a made-up reality that looks like our own. This helps people talk about difficult topics. She shows gods and holy figures as people. Their religious practices in the photos sometimes go against their own rules.

Modern Girl (2016)

"Modern Girl" (2016) was inspired by Chinese advertising posters from the 1930s. This series looks at who we are, gender roles, different cultures, and buying things. Dina re-imagines old Chinese ads to comment on the beauty, health, and wellness industries. "Modern Girl" explores how old gender roles and modern shopping habits have used women's bodies to sell products. Dina says that the 1930s Chinese posters are important. They show the struggle between old traditions and the desire for new ways of life. She explains that in that time, Asian women started to become more independent. But at the same time, new gender roles allowed women's bodies to be used in marketing.

Snapshots From The Garden Of Eden (2017)

"Snapshots From The Garden Of Eden" (2017) was made for a special art show. It was for the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. The show was called "Jewish Folktales Retold: Artist as Maggid." This series is based on 100 Jewish tales collected by Howard Schwartz. Dina photographed 11 large black and white pictures. They show modern scenes from different types of Jewish tales. The series features diverse characters, like kings, queens, spirits, and Hasidic figures. Dina uses dream-like scenes and symbols. She explores and changes traditional Jewish ideas like destiny, temptation, justice, and faith. "Snapshots From The Garden Of Eden" travels to different places. It was shown at the Museo Ebraico in Venice in 2018. It is still being shown in Jewish museums around the world.

The 10 Commandments (2019)

"The 10 Commandments" (2019) was inspired by the election of Donald Trump in 2016. This series shows the dishonesty and unfairness in American politics. It looks at the social and political side of America through its famous political leaders. Each picture shows a President based on their politics or fame. They are placed in a modern setting. Each picture is also linked to one of the Ten Commandments. These pictures are often funny. They aim to show the layers of political dishonesty. They also question the fairness of a system that is supposed to be a good example of democracy. This is Dina's most political work so far. But it still connects to a theme she often explores in her art: feeling disappointed.

OG PUNK (2021)

Dina Goldstein has photographed important people from the punk rock music scene. This scene was popular in the late 1970s and 1980s in Vancouver and Victoria. The pictures in "OG Punk" are taken in a studio. The people in the photos pose for the camera. They show off their punk rock clothes, spiky hair, and tattoos. Some look playful and brave, while others look more quiet or sad. These original punks look like unique people, not just members of a group. It's hard to tell what is a costume and what they wear every day. This shows how hard it is to create your own style. Each picture shows the struggle between showing a social identity and personal expression.

The exhibition gives clues about what punk was about. It was a youth movement that went against mainstream society. Political concerns were a big reason for punk. In the 1970s, young punk ideas became popular in the art world. Their music around the world had political messages. For Dina's subjects, punk is not just a movement. It's an attitude that, as Lisa Jak says, "as long as there is ignorance, oppression, and intolerance will be here to fight back."

Dina Goldstein has been a photojournalist for thirty years. She focuses on social commentary. She creates documentary, editorial, and staged photos. Her work has been published widely and shown in many international exhibitions.

The Polygon Gallery, Curator Helga Pakasaar The Polygon Gallery

Awards

Dina Goldstein has won many awards for her photography. Here are some of them:

• 2024 Overall winner Julia Margaret Cameron Awards
• 2023 American Photography 39
• 2022 PX3 finalist
• 2021 IPA Honorable Mention
• 2021 Paris Photo, Finalist
• 2020 Aesthetica Art Prize, Finalist
• 2020 Arte Laguna, Photographic section, Finalist
• 2019 Lucie Awards, Deeper Perspective, Honourable Mention
• 2019 Honourable Mention Julia Margaret Cameron Awards
• 2018 Arte Laguna, Belgium Residency Selection
• 2017 Black & White Spider Awards
• 2016 Sony Awards Short list
• 2016 Arte Laguna, Photographic Selection
• 2014 Prix Virginia, Paris, France Grand Prize
• 2013 International Color Awards, Fine Art Finalist
• 2012 The Big F Award, Framed Awards
• 2012 Selected for Art Basel
• 2011 Arte Laguna Special Prize Winner
• 2009 Popular Photography, reader's competition
• 2009 International Color Awards, Fine Art Finalist
• 2008 1st Place ‘Magazine Cover Art’, Applied Arts Magazine
• 2006 Nominee, ‘David Screams’, Black and White Spider Awards
• 2006 1st Place, ‘Ice Cream’, International Colour Awards
• 2004 1st Place, ‘Hands’, Applied Arts Magazine
• 2004 1st Place, ‘Trackrecord Exhibit Poster’ Applied Arts Magazine
• 2003 3rd Place, ‘Trackrecord Exhibit Poster’, Nikon PDN awards
• 2003 Top 10 Ice Cream Photo Life Magazine
• 2002 Nominee, ‘Manifesto of Fun’, Western Magazine Awards
• 2001 Nominee, ‘Home Wrecked’, Western Magazine Awards
• 1999 Nominee, ‘Dig It’, Western Magazine Awards

Notable Exhibitions

Dina Goldstein's work has been shown in many important art exhibitions around the world.

Solo and Group Exhibitions

• 2023

* Group, Studio Idan, Paris, France. * Solo, Studio Idan, Paris, France.

• 2020

* Solo, Museum of Jewish Montreal, Montreal, Canada. * Solo, Art Mur Gallery, Montreal, Canada. * Solo, Castle of Compiano, Parma, Italy. * Solo, Masterpiece Art, London, England. * Group, The Arts Company, Nashville, USA. * Group, Aesthetica Art Prize, Future Now, York Gallery London, England.

• 2019

* Group, Musée de l’Homme, Paris, France. * Group, Juming Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. * Group, Pasinger Fabrik, Yes We Ken, Munich, Germany. * Solo, Head On Photography Festival, Sydney, Australia.

• 2018

* Solo, Addis Foto Festival, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. * Solo, Museo della Padova Ebraica, Padua, Italy. * Solo, Castello Cavour, Turin, Italy. * Solo, Venice Jewish Museum, Venice, Italy. * Solo, Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, Italy. * Group, Ian Potter Museum, University of Melbourne, Australia.

• 2017

* Festival, Lishui Biennial Photography Festival, Lishui Museum, China. * Solo, Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery, Jewish Center, Vancouver, B.C. * Group, Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, US. * Festival, Contact Photography Festival, Toronto, Ont. * Festival, Auckland Festival Of Photography, Auckland, NZ.

• 2016

* Festival, Daegu Photo Biennale, Daegu South Korea. * Solo, Palazzo Flangini, Venice, Italy. * Solo, Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, Mesa, Arizona. * Group, Once Upon in A Fairy Tale, Mart Photography Centre Yekaterinberg, Russia. * Solo, Dina Goldstein, Modern Girl, Virginie Barrou Planquart, Paris, France. * Solo, Gods Of Suburbia, Capture Photo Festival, Vancouver. * Group, The Girl Next Door, Haarlem, Holland. * Group, Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, Palm Springs, USA. * Solo, Collections, Central Dupon, Paris, France. * Festival, Gods Of Suburbia, Art Souterrain, Montreal, Quebec. * Solo, In The Dollhouse, Rize Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland. * Solo, Gods Of Suburbia, Madison Gallery, CA, USA.

• 2015

* Festival, Fallen Princesses, Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie En Gaspesie, Quebec, Canada. * Solo, Fallen Princesses, Playtime Productions and Opiom Gallery- Public Exhibition, Mediathèque, Mouans-Sartoux, France. * Festival, In the Dollhouse, Fotografica Bogota Bianal- Photography Museum Colombia.

• 2014

* Solo, In the Dollhouse and Fallen Princesses, Prix Virginia Overall winner, Paris, France. * Festival, Fallen Princesses, Rencontres Internationales De La Photographie En Gaspésie, Quebec, Canada. * Group, Gods Of Suburbia, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, India. * Catalogue Inclusion, In The Dollhouse, Musée d'Orsay Paris, France. * Solo, XX, 20 Year Retrospective, Capture Photo Festival, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. * Festival, In The Dollhouse, Capture Photo Festival, Kimoto Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. * Solo, In The Dollhouse, Art Mur Gallery, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. * Group, Works On Paper, Papier 13, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. * Solo, Fallen Princesses, Musee Femme, Quebec Traveling exhibition. * Group, Fallen Princesses, Brigham Young University Museum of Art, We Could Be Heros, Utah, U.S.A. * Group, Fallen Princesses, OUT / OFF - Mumbai, India. * Group, Fallen Princesses, Venice Arsenale, Arte Laguna, Venice, Italy. * Group, Fallen Princesses, Please Lie to Me, Art Mûr's 15th Anniversary.

• 2010

* Festival, Fallen Princesses, Bielsko-Biala FotoArt Festival, Poland. * Solo, Fallen Princesses, Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

• 2005

* Solo, Trackrecord, Gallery L’Opera, 2004 Paris, France.

• 2004

* Solo, Trackrecord, Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.

• 2003

* Group, David, Exposure Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.

• 2001

* Solo, Images of Gaza, Naamat Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel Sidney and Gertrude Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.

Personal Life

Dina Goldstein lives in East Vancouver with her husband, Jonas Quastel, who is a filmmaker. They have two daughters named Jordan and Zoe.

Articles and Interviews

You can learn more about Dina Goldstein and her work from these articles and interviews:

• Argument Magazine issue 07
• Talking Pictures interview August 2022
• Globe and Mail 2022- OG Punk
• Scout Magazine interview
• Stir Vancouver article
• Photobiz X Posed interview
• Phoblographer article
• 2020 The Guardian, The 10 Commandments
• DODHO MAGAZINE - The 10 Commandments
• Culture Trip interview
• The Sydney Morning Herald
• Arttribune
• KQED
• L'Oeil De La Photography
• DINA GOLDSTEIN: ANALYZING THE HUMAN CONDITION
• Dina Goldstein and Pop Surrealism
• China girl: Dina Goldstein's Satirical Pinups
• AI-AP: Profiles
• Dina Goldstein, Modern Girls
• The Times Of Israel
• NERDsociety Interview
• In The Dollhouse in Feature Shoot
• 2013 Moulot, Dora. Le Monde- France
• 2013 Sarno, Marco. La Repubblica- Italy
• 2013 Folie-Boivin, Émilie. Le Devoir- Canada
• Dark and Twisted Fairy Tales