Mika Sperling was born in Norilsk, Russia. She grew up in Germany, in a family of ten.
Her artistic endeavors have been primarily biographical in which she combines the cultures that have constituted her upbringing and influence her life.
“Brothers and Sisters” was among the Finalists of the LensCulture Portrait Awards 2015 and won the European Photography Award in 2016. The same year Mika received a Fulbright and DAAD scholarship to pursue her Master studies in the U.S and graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute with a MFA in Studio Art in 2018. She had her first solo show in Oakland with "Before You – Above the Circle" in 2018. In 2019 she received the Olympus Recommended Fellowship for her new work "Mother Tongue" which is currently on display at the Fotografie Forum Frankfurt and then moving to Foam Museum in Amsterdam. She is based in Hamburg, Germany.
Facing oppression since the 16th century, Mennonite communities in Russia, Germany, and Canada tell their stories through this series of thoughtful portraits.
