Irving Villegas(b. 1982) is a Mexican visual artist and photographer based in Hanover, Germany. He studied documentary photography at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hanover. His photographic practice is distinguished by a precise documentary approach that explores social and cultural themes through a poetic and artistic perspective. Across his projects, Villegas incorporates collage techniques, integrating archival images, contemporary portraits, and graphic elements as a natural extension of his visual language to deepen reflections on memory, identity, and the construction of collective narratives.
He has received several grants, including the VG Bild-Kunst scholarship in 2023 for his project "Läuft," which was selected for the "Descubrimientos 2024" portfolio reviews at PhotoEspaña and by the Freundeskreis des Hauses der Photographie in Hamburg this year. Additionally, his project "Work far away" won the PhotOn Festival Award in 2014 in Valencia, Spain. His work has been published in renowned media outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, among other publications.
His work has been exhibited at major international events, including Derby Photo Festival (UK), Kolga Tbilisi Photo Festival (Georgia), PhotOn Festival (Valencia, Spain), Kunstverein Hannover (Germany), and Kwartier Nord (Hannover, Germany). His projects have also been presented as projections at Visa pour l'Image in Perpignan (France), Slideluck – Cortona On The Move (Italy), and Encontros da Imagem (Portugal).
Villegas' work has also been awarded on numerous occasions, and he has been a finalist in several international competitions.
Exhibitions
Upcoming , 11.07.2026 “ LUPE” Casa Wabi, Mexico City.
-2026 April-Juli “ LÄUFT” Kwartier Nord Hannover Germany
-2025 August–November “LÄUFT” 91. Herbstausstellung, Kunstverein Hannover, Germany
-2025 Juli “LÄUFT” Rencontres d'Arles “NIGHT OF THE YEAR 2025” Arles France.
-2025 Januar “Trazos” Real Dance Festival, Hannover Germany.
- 2023 "Recordar es vivir - Erinnern ist Leben" exhibition at Kwartier Nord Galerie, October. Hannover Germany.
2023 „Recordar es vivir - Erinnern ist Leben“ exhibition at Kunstverein Hannover, October. Hannover Germany.
- 2020 "Tag der Toten" exhibition at Metavier Galerie, October. Hannover Germany.
- 2015 „Working far away“ exhibition at „Triennial of Photography Hamburg“ .June. Hamburg, Germany.
- 2015 "Working far away" exhibition at "Kolga Tbilisi photo Festival" .May. Tbilisi. Georgien.
- 2015 "Working far away" exhibition at "Photon Festival" .May. Valencia. Spain
- 2015 "Working far away" exhibition at "Focus photography Festival" .March. Mumbai, India.
- 2011 Format Festival (Derby/ UK) The artworks was commissioned by collectives encounter's currator Yasmina Reggad for an exhibition during the Format festival in Derby.
- 2010 Gymnaka Photo España 2010 (Madrid,Spain)
- 2006 "Expofotoperiodismo", Museo de la ciudad de Mexico.
- 2006 "71 Imagenes"Centro cultural AROC Mexico.
Projections:
- 2015 "Working far away" at Slideluck CORTONA ON THE MOVE. Cortona, Italy,July 2015
- 2015 "Working far away" Night Projection at Encontros da Imagen. September. Braga, Portugal.
Awards
-2024 Selected for Descubrimientos PhotoEspaña. Santander, Spain with the project „Läuft“.
-2024 Selected for Portfolio Review by Freundeskreis Photographie,Deichtorhallen Hamburg with the project „Läuft“.
-2023 VG Bild-Kunst Project Grant Stiftung Kulturwerk, with the project „Laüft“.
- 2014 PhotOn Festival Award (Photojournalist Festival in Valencia, Spain) with the project „Working far away“.
- 2014 Honorable Mention at Perugia Social Photo Fest (Perugia , Italy) with the project „Working far away“.
- 2014 Finalist in Emergentes dst Award at Encontros da Imagen in Braga, Portugal. with the project „Working far away“.
- 2010 Finalis in the cover magazine contest. "Titelbilder-Wettbewerb 2010 PP" Photopresse Magazine , Germany.
- 2009 Honorary Mention " in the 8. International Barnack Biennales 2009 , Lynow, Germany.
- 2009 Finalis in the cover magazine contest. "Titelbilder-Wettbewerb 2009 PP"Photopresse Magazine , Germany.
- 2006 First and second place in diferents categories in National Geographic competition"Luces de America 2006, Mexico.