Earned a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts at School of Visual Arts in New York, where she also worked for Manolo Valdes photographing his monumental sculptures in NYC. She previously photographed the Making of the film "The honour of the wronged" by Carlos García-Alix. She is author of the book "Manolo Valdés. The New York Botanical Garden" edited by La Fabrica. This book won the First Prize for the Best Art Publication on 2014 by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Spain. Her work has been published by national and international media, including: El Pais, El Mundo, Yo Dona, Matador, Esquire, Forbes, IVAM Museum, SVA NY and Smithsonian Journeys amongst others.
All over the years she has given photo workshops to empower creativity in the arts field in a variety of schools. From a Spanish level at TAI (University Center of Arts), LENS and Too Many Flash, to an international one with Roberto Mata, Taller de Fotografía, in Venezuela and RMTF Miami, in the Azores.
Andrea has exhibited in Portugal, France, Italy, Venezuela, Mexico, the United States and her home country Spain. Her first solo exhibition "Around" about women boxers was at Marlborough Gallery in Madrid as part of the Festival PHotoESPAÑA’11.
In 2012 she presented “Y cuando abrí los ojos ... ya estaban allí” at Galería Freites in Caracas, Venezuela and “Prelude”, at Mondo Galería in Madrid, Spain.
In 2014 “Cartes de visite” was shown at Palau de la Música, in Valencia, Spain. Following “Nation rugby” in 2016 at the French Institute in Madrid. More recently, “Waniku. Where water rumbles”, was selected for The Mérignac Photographic Festival and “Isolado” was presented for the 50thAnniversary of Galería Antonio de Suñer (SEN) in Madrid.
Throughout her career, Andrea Santolaya has developed a personal and honest photographic language to portray the life of small communities where timelessness as a social bond stands out. Whether with the Mikhailovsky Ballet of Saint Petersburg, in Russia; the Warao ethnic group of the Orinoco river Delta, in Venezuela; the world of boxing in gyms in New York, United States; or with the centennial Biarritz Olympique rugby team, in France and a paradoxical community of Russian Old Believers, in Alaska. Her photographic work allows a dialogue with the viewer to show the intimacy of the places, the characters that inhabit it, the history and how society debates in its natural environment over time.
Isolado. Galeria Fonseca Macedo. São Miguel, Açores.
Isolado. Galería Antonio de Suñer. Madrid, Espanha.
Retrátate.PHotoESPAÑA. Santander, Espanha.
Retrátate. PHotoESPAÑA. Madrid, Espanha.
Russkaya Amerika. Los vigias de la fe.Mondo Galeria Madrid, Espanha.
Mérignac Photografic Festival. Francia. Curador François Cheval.
Nation rugby. Centro Cultural Aiete. Donostia Kultura. San Sebastian, Espanha.
Waniku. Donde retumba el agua.Galería Freites. Caracas, Venezuela.
Nation rugby. Instituto Francés de Madrid.Espanha.
Waniku. Donde retumba el agua.Mondo Galería. Madrid, Espanha.
Cartes de Visite. Palau de la Musica.Valencia, Espanha.
Prelude.El Ballet. Mikhailovsky. Mondo Galería. Madrid, Espanha.
Prelude.El Ballet. Mikhailovsky.Mondo Galería. Fotofever Paris. França.
Y cuando abrí los ojos... ya estaban allí. Galería Freites, Caracas. Venezuela.
Around.Galería Marlborough de Madrid. Festival PHotoESPAÑA ‘11. Espanha.
Um Olhar Divergente, Arquipélago - Centro das Artes Contemporâneas, São Miguel, Açores, Portugal.
En plan travesti. Matadero. Madrid, Espanha.
Artistas Descrito.Centro Cultural San Clemente. Toledo, Espanha.
PHE´17. Academia de San Fernando. Fundación March. Madrid, Espanha.
Home Casa Home. Mondo Galería. Madrid, Espanha.
Tolstöi. Vuela Pluma Ediciones. Madrid, Espanha.
La Oficina de San Jerónimo. Matadero. Casa del Lector. Madrid, Espanha.
Arte Fiera Bolonia. Galería Paola Sosio Contemporary Milano. Italia.
Yo. La peor de todas. (Nan Goldin paradigma). Mondo Galería. Madrid, Espanha.
El mundo de Blanca Sánchez.Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid. Espanha.
Mi familia y otros animales.Galería Alejandro Sales de Barcelona, Espanha.
Exposición Colectiva de Apertura en la Galería Hipánica. México D.F.
Sony World Photography Awards.Somerset House, Londres. Grã Bretanha.
Comer y beber.Galería Pelayo Madrid, Espanha.
Thesis show.SVA MFA Photography, Video and Media.SVA Gallery, Nova York. U.S.
Art Under the Bridge.Arts Festival, DUMBO Brooklyn, Nova York. U.S.
Viaje alrededor de Carlos Berlanga.Sala El Águila, Madrid. Espanha.
Common people, visiones (versiones) del presente.Centro Cultural La Misericordia, Mallorca. Espanha.
Arte, Creación e Investigación.MAC+i 08 U.C.M. Madrid. Espanha.
Espejos del Alma.Centro Cultural La Pocilla, Madrid. Espanha.
Italy Hoy.Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Madrid. Espanha.
Ciencia, Arte y Naturaleza.U.C.M. Madrid. Espanha.
En busca y captura de Felipe Sandoval.Centro Cultural Conde Duque. Madrid, Espanha.
Prémio Aula de Artes Plásticas.Galería Art Nueve, Murcia. Espanha.
Bolsa do Governo Federal Russo. Instituto Pushkin. Moscovo. Rússia.
Residência de artista Pico do Refúgio. São Miguel, Açores.
Primeiro Prêmio do Ministério de Educação, Cultura e Desporto. Melhor edição nas Artes com o livro, “Manolo Valdés. Jardín Botánico de Nueva York”. La Fábrica Editorial.
Obra Social La Caixa. Bolsa de Estudos de Pós-graduação em Estados Unidos, SVA Nova York.
Bolsa Sócrates/Erasmus da União Europeia. Saint-Luc École de Beaux Arts. Bélgica.
Primeiro Prêmio “Aula de Artes Plásticas”, Universidade de Murcia. Espanha.
INSTITUT FRANÇAIS Madrid, Espanha / PALAU DE LA MUSICA Valencia, Espanha / UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRID/ Faculdade de Belas Artes, Madrid Espanha / UNIVERSIDAD DE MURCIA / Aula de Artes Plásticas. Murcia, Espanha / CA2M Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo. Madrid. Espanha / GALERÍA MARLBOROUGH Nova York, EE.UU. / GALERÍA MARLBOROUGH Madrid. Espanha / GALERÍA FREITES Caracas. Venezuela / COLECÇÃO CISNEROS Caracas. Venezuela / COLECÇÃO C&FE Caracas. Venezuela / COLECÇÃO PICO DO REFÚGIO. São Miguel, Açores.
Manolo Valdes. El Jardín Botánico de Nueva York. Andrea Santolaya. La Fabrica Editorial.
Around. Andrea Santolaya. La Oficina Ediciones.
Manolo Valdes. Esculturas en NY. Andrea Santolaya. TF Ediciones.
Los Originarios Contemporáneos.Mª Teresa Boulton. C&FE Caracas.
El libro del Teatro Real.La Fábrica Ed.
El honor de las Injurias.Busca y captura de Felipe Sandoval.T. Ediciones, Madrid.
Diccionario de Fotógrafos Españoles.Editorial La Fábrica.
La Naval Número 37. Cartagena
Rua Dr. Guilherme Poças Falcão, n.º 23
9500-057 Ponta Delgada
São Miguel - Açores
