Stephanie Schwiederek is an American multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans photography, moving image, writing, and poetry. Raised in a motel in Pine Brook, New Jersey, a transient space marked by instability, her upbringing deeply informs her work. Through themes of belonging, identity, memory, trauma, archive and family dynamics, Schwiederek explores the intersections of violence and intimacy, dysfunction and acceptance, resignation and resilience.
In 2021, her first independent documentary film, Leave Nothing Behind, was showcased at the New Jersey International Film Festival, marking a significant milestone in her career as an emerging artist. Schwiederek was an attendee at the 2025 Chico Review, the country’s premier Photobook Retreat, and was a participant in the FOLIO 25/26 Masterclass with PhMuseum.
Schwiederek earned her BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in 2018, where she was awarded the Brovero Photography Prize. She completed her MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2020. Her work has been exhibited domestically and internationally.
Based in New Jersey, Stephanie Schwiederek is an Adjunct Professor in the Photography Technology program in the Design & Media Studies Department at the County College of Morris and in the Photography program in the Fine Arts Department at Sussex County Community College.
For commissions, collaborations, or mentorships contact: stephanieschwiederek@gmail.com