Curriculum Vitae
Zelda Cheatle
London, 2012 - Present
Expert in Photography. Curator, Editor, Lecturer and Festival Director.
International curation, writing and editing of catalogues and books, lecturing both national and international audiences. Instigated and curated the first Photo Dalkeith and London PhotoMonth 2025.
The Photography Fund
Global, 2005 - 2012
Zelda Cheatle founded and managed the first Photography Fund. Primarily collecting fine prints of the 20th Century. The Fund collected, exhibited and published the collection of over 6,000 iconic prints including a Russian 20th century collection, Eve Arnolds vintage archive and icons and masterpieces of the European and American schools.
Zelda Cheatle Gallery
London, 1989 - 2005
Zelda Cheatle Gallery opened in 1989, first in Cecil Court, WC2, moved to Mount Street in Mayfair and finally in Shoreditch until 2005.( after formative years at the Photographers Gallery, London in Covent Garden). The gallery completed 16 years of exhibiting important photography nationally and internationally. Zelda Cheatle Gallery exhibited 20th century photographers including Eve Arnold, Berenice Abbot and Atget, Abbas Kiarostami, Kertesz and Lee Freidlander, Robert Frank, Bill Brandt, Mari Mahr, Lee Miller, O Winston Link, Grace Robertson and Thurston Hopkins, many more. Zelda Cheatle Gallery consistently exhibited emerging artists and photographers, whilst working with the established maestros of the medium.
Zelda Cheatle Press
London, 1990-2005
Zelda Cheatle Press the sister company to Zelda Cheatle Gallery published monographs and catalogues of contemporary British artists and photographers, exhibitions including the John Kobal Foundation Portrait exhibition which became the Taylor Wessing at the National Portrait Gallery.
TEACHING
London Metropolitan University
2020-2026
Associate lecturer
UAL LCC
2023/2025
Reviewing MA portfolios
University of Westminster, MA
November 2022 to present
Lecturer
London Metropolitan University
June - July 2022/2023/2024
Curator of Free Range exhibition.
Red Eye, Manchester
July 2020
Online mentoring of recent graduates.
Online Portfolio Reviews, Photography, University Of Westminster
April 2020
Reviewing and editing portfolios for final year students.
Visiting lecturer Photography B.A. and M.A. Courses
2014 - 2020
Visiting lecturer at Central St Martins, Kingston University, University of Ulster Belfast, Sotheby’s Institute, University of West London, UAL and Northampton University.
Collecting Photography, Photo London
April - May 2019
Course on Collecting Photography, with visits to public and private collections. Hands on knowledge of print types and processes, conservation advice and VIP special tour of Photo London.
Collecting Photography, Photographers Gallery
Autumn 2014 and Spring 2016
Course on Collecting Photography, at Photographers Gallery, culminating in Paris Photo Autumn 2014 and Photo London 2016.
Paris Photo Advanced Course
September - November 2017
Six week advanced course prior to Paris Photo, including in depth viewing of private and public collections, studio visits, gallery visits in London and advance tours of preview plus day of alternative photography in Paris.
Hacklebury Gallery Sessions
Autumn 2017
Three sessions of talks and discussion on the New York School of Photography.
Advanced Course for Collectors
March - May 2018
Advance course for collectors of photography, in depth viewing of private and public collections, studio visits, gallery visits culminating in Photo London and Peckham 24.
AWARDS
AOP Memebership ‘Women of Influence’ Shaping The Industry
Association of Photographers
2024
Honorary Fellow
University of the Arts Bournemouth
2022
Award for Outstanding Contribution to Photography 2021
Royal Photographic Society
2021
Various
East London Photography Archive (ELPA)
Steering Committee member
2018-present
The Photograph that Changed my Life
talk and book signing
October 2023
Bell house Dulwich
Umrao Singh Sher-Gil Sundaram Arts Foundation Lecture
January 2019
Constructed and Staged Photography; ‘Subtlety, Nuance and Make Believe’ International India Club, Delhi.
Nominator
2023
Leica Oskar Barnack Award
Member of the Council of International Friends (IFNGI)
National Gallery of Ireland
2019 - Present
Advisory Committee
Photo Shanghai
2014 and 2015.
Portfolio Reviewing, selected
PhotoMeet, London 2016, 2018 and 2026
Derby Format Festival 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2025
Magnum Photos April 2015
Photographers Gallery 2014
Trustee
Koestler
2001 - 2019
Koestler Trust exhibiting art from prison, secure units, psychiatric hospitals and young offender units. An annual competition resulting in a programme of exhibitions, at Royal Festival Hall , South Bank in the autumn and major regional venues. Sourcing in excess of 8000 entries from England Scotland Wales and N.Ireland.
Acting Trustee
Helen Chadwick Estate
1989 - 2000
Maintained Helen Chadwick Estate, responsible for the legacy of the artist, until 2000
Trustee
CREAR - Space to Create, Lochgilphead, Scotland
2013- 2019
Trustee CREAR - Space to Create, Lochgilphead, Scotland. A unique space for talent, both visual and audio, to create and perform.
Chair of judges
Kraszna Krausze book Award
2013
Chair of judges for Kraszna Krausze book Award 2013, with Sean O’Hagan and Paul Graham.
Nominator
Deutsche Borse and Prix Pictet competitions.
World Press 6x Global Talent Program 2020
SELECTED PROJECTS
Mari Mahr and VAM Parasol
2023
AOP Student Awards
2023
Judge
Digital Residency
April - October 2023
Initiated and managed Digital residencies at Horniman Museum and Gardens, London and MAP Bangalore, with Marie Smith and Adira Thekkuveetil.
PhotoLondon
May 2022 / 2023
Collector curated tours.
Squaring the Circles
4 March - 1 May 2023
Exhibition at Scarborough Museum and Art Gallery.
Bowhill / Boughton
October 2022 / October 2023
Assessing and researching photography archives.
Squaring the Circle
9 September - 6 November 2022
Exhibition opened at RPS Bristol.
Talk with Gideon Rubin
Purdy Hicks, October 2022
Photography Consultant to Messums, Cork Street
May 2022
Yan Wang Preston Mother River Exhibition.
Peckham24
Advisory and Curatorial Board.
Format Festival Online Portfolio Review
July 2020 - present
International portfolio reviewing.
World Photography Organisation (now CREO)
May 2020
Online Portfolio reviews, Chair of Jury for WPO annual competition and curator for three years at Somerset House, London.
Offspring PhotoMeet with Mimi Mollica
Mare Street Studios, Hackney, 2019 and 2026
Portfolio Reviews
AOP Student Awards
May 2019
Judge of People category.
LIP, London Independent photographers
Shoreditch, May 2019
Reviewing portfolios.
IPSE, Independent Photographers of the South East
Bolney, Sussex, March 2019
Talk on recent exhibitions / events. Afternoon of reviewing work.
Hahnemühle Student Awards
Germany, May - November 2019
Judge.
Birmingham City University
Birmingham, June 2019
Reviewing exhibitions of graduating students from the university.
Art Jameel, Judging, Curating and Installation
Art Jameel Exhibition, Riyad, November 2016
Art Jameel Consultancy, October 2017
Sony World Photography Awards
Somerset House, April - May 2016, 2017 and 2018
Judging panel of competition. Chair of Jury and subsequently curating the exhibition at Somerset House, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Dubai Photography Week
Dubai, March 2016
Chief Curator for the international exhibition, bringing 18 curators representing 23 countries and 128 photographers and artists, exhibiting the influence of the 20th century on 21st century photographic practice.
Legend of the East End
Shoreditch, London, August 2015
Legend of the East End photographic exhibition to celebrate the film Legend; Duffy , Jocelyn Bain Hogg , Steven Berkoff, Don McCullin, David George, Thurston Hopkins, Edith Tudor Hart.
Mother River / Yan Preston
Chongquin, China, May - September 2015
Curated museum show for Yan Wang Preston, built and installed travelling Museum exhibition, supported by British Council. Opened in May, Chongqing Three Gorges Museum,Wuhan Art Museum, July 2015 and Shanghai at The Swatch Art Peace Hotel August/ September 2015. Accompanied by lectures, seminars and guided tours.
Celebrating Sanctuary
Bethnal Green and South Bank, June 2014
Celebrating Sanctuary’ Simona Aru / Praxis, exhibitions of young refugees for Refugee week at Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green and South Bank, June 2014.
Ebb and Flow
London, June 2014
The Water, Chinese artist solo show at the Saatchi Gallery.
Books
(including Essays & introductions)
Oxford Dictionary of National Biographies
Eamonn McCabe
2025
John Claridge
Vision of Peru
2023
Oxford Dictionary of National Biographies
Chris Killip
2023
Oxford Dictionary of National Biographies
Sue Davies
2023
The Time is Right
Jeddah Photo Catalogue
2022
Oxford Dictionary of National Biographies
Grace Robertson
2021
Oxford Dictionary of National Biographies
Eva Sereny
2021
Final Analysis for Kelsey Publishing 2021-2022
Texts on: Berenice Abbott, Jill Freedman, Joy Gregory, Gisela Torres, Ian Phillips McLaren, Yan Wang Preston, Wasi Daniju (now Oluwatosin Daniju) & Monica Alcazar Duarte
2021 - 2022
The Photograph that Changed My Life
Zelda Cheatle
September 2021
Squaring the Circles
The Royal Photographic Society
Introduction & Co-editor of exhibition catalogue with Michael Pritchard
2020
Wolfgang Strassl Underground Portraits
Kerber Verlag
Introduction
2019
Forest, Yan Wang Preston
Essay, Cant see the wood for the Trees
2018
Mark Aitken Sanctum Ephemeral
Afterword
2019
Mother River, Yan Wang Preston
Catalogue for Touring exhibition, Chongqing, Wuhan, Shanghai
2015
Hackney By Night, David George, Hoxton Mini Press
Introduction
2015