Portrait Series
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[ PORTRAIT SERIES ] A series of photographs that reflects a strong sense of identity or narrative. Respect for the dignity of the person is important. Submissions do not have to adhere to documentary principles. Alternate processes and digital manipulations are allowed. Each submission consists of 5 to 10 images. Each participant is allowed to enter up to 2 submissions. All images must be taken in 2023.
Judges for Portrait Series
Quick links to award categories: Spot News / Portraits / Nature & Environment / Recreational & Traditional Sports / Sports Action / General News / Daily Life / Daily Life Picture Story / Portrait Series / Issue Reporting Picture Story / Cultural Practices / Photographer of the Year, Asia
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In a world full of discrimination, being a woman and being Kurdish is not without similarities. Women's dreams of freedom, equality, emancipation, and respect are dashed by patriarchal systems, while the Kurds, because of their nationality, are irredeemably opposed as hereditary enemies. In Iran, women and Kurds share a broken destiny, walking a tightrope between life and death. These two words, women and Kurds, have now become synonymous with resistance. Resistance to discriminatory global structures full of patriarchal norms.This definition of a woman is more common in a place like Iran under the dictatorship of the Islamic Republic, which in the 21st century with theocratic rule revived discriminatory structures and institutionalized gender and national apartheid. Women in Kurdistan and Iran have always suffered from historical discrimination, denial of identity, and systematic oppression. Women are oppressed by law and by an ideological system. They are deprived of the right to divorce and custody of the child, voluntary coverage, the right to go to the stadium, to get a passport, and to travel without the permission of a man… They don't even have the right to sing in public, to dance, to ride a bike, to do most of the sports and jobs, and became half-human in matters such as inheritance and testimony in court. The Iranian regime, which claims to be fighting for the freedom of its people, has now turned in on itself, fighting only for its own political survival. The Iran we know today in 2023 executes opponents every day, when women are not killed simply for a strand of hair sticking out, as was the case with Zina Amini. The revolution of Jin, Jiyan, Azadi was unique in history, especially in the Middle East region. Many people died, others lost their eyes, were kidnapped, disappeared, or executed... Yet their only claim was to the right to life and to be different. Among them, the number of Kurdish women who have chosen to join the Peshmerga ranks as a way of fighting against the dictatorship of the Islamic Republic of Iran is huge. Of course, this choice of exile was not easy it was for them the only solution to fight for their rights. In Iran, the Islamic Republic completely blocked the political space and closed all the doors to expressing protest, and worse than that, it has made all areas of social life securitized and militarised. In this way, Kurdish women who consider themselves victims of gender-ethnic.
Focusing on the survivors of the Wenchuan Earthquake in China, this photography program has been ongoing for the past 15 years. The stories of these survivors reflect the tenacity, suffering, struggle, and hope of life. On May 12, 2008, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck Wenchuan, China, killing more than 69,000 people, leaving another 17,000 missing, and causing over 370,000 wounded or disabled. The disaster caused not only physical injuries, but also psychological trauma deeply. Time may heal the pain, or make it even worse. Fifteen years have passed. Now for many survivors, the pain may no longer be as unforgettable as it was at the beginning, but the scars remain. They need time to slowly heal spiritual wounds as well as close attention from the society to listen to their voices. With a compassionate humanistic attitude, the photographer has been focusing on and following the "Earthquake Survivors" program from the moment the earthquake occurred 15 years ago, trying to take photos of people holding their own portraits to present nirvana and rebirth, and expressing his thoughts and respect for life calmly.
Three decades after its dissolution, the post-mortem shadow of the USSR still hangs over the world, generating wars and conflicts. Across generations and through these portraits, diverse and interwoven stories form a fragmented, subjective account of a geographical and mental space. It reflects on political utopias, their corruption, identity and memory, and people's independence and resilience. They are part of a long-term project focusing on countries that gained independence after the implosion of the USSR and aims to build a memento, to understand better these spaces' history and, therefore, the troubled present. These environmental portraits are a tribute to hopes, disillusions and the people who live through them.
As a young woman in Aceh, I observe a distinct cultural lifestyle compared to other parts of Indonesia due to the strong influence of Islamic Sharia. The implementation of Sharia is governed by a regional regulation called Qanun, serving as the legal foundation. This has made hijab mandatory for Acehnese women, enforced in designated areas like government offices, private agencies, schools, and colleges. The government introduced Wilayatul Hisbah (Sharia police) to ensure compliance, conducting checks to enforce the hijab rule. While these regulations aim for positive outcomes, they sometimes empower men in positions of 'power' to unfairly judge women. The government also regulates restrictions on men and women interaction in public spaces. Inspections are performed on a regular basis to ensure compliance. The state regulates all personal worship. And the punishment is caning. However, have the gender-oriented restrictions made Aceh a safe space for women? Unfortunately, the fact says “NO”. based on a research done by Indonesian Cental Bureau of Statistic, Aceh remains Indonesia's fourth most violent province in terms of sexual harassment. This series offers a visual response to the challenges faced by my female friends and me in the context of the implementation of Islamic law. I commenced the series by crafting artworks from my family archives depicting the attire of Acehnese women before the enforcement of Islamic law in Aceh. Furthermore, I introduced faceless portraits as a reaction to the government's restriction of women's space, portraying them as passive symbols within the Islamic collective in Aceh. Aceh's social conditions are the primary impetus for me to create and voice out my opinions. Because I am a woman, I was born in Aceh, I grew up in Aceh, it’s a part of my life, and I have to admit that sometimes my clossest environment can prevent me from doing certain things. Using photography as a medium, I investigate the lives of women in Aceh. I attempt to advocate the women’s fundamental right through the medium of photography.
Award of Excellence
The Dreamers (searching for love in the darkest times)
Sergei Stroitelev
Independent
Russia/Germany
In 2022-23, during the war with Ukraine, Russian government started to search for internal enemies who were declared to be sexual minorities. Firstly, legislators banned any propaganda of LGBTQIA+ relations including post on social networks. After that they restricted trangender transition and recognized the whole LGBTQIA+ community as extremist. All that made it very dangerous for the community members to stay in Russia, especially if a person decided to live openly and talk about their identity publicly. Therefore, it is not surprising that a lot of the community members decided to leave the country. The present portrait-based project displays the couples - representatives of the Russian LGBTQIA+ community who left the country to Georgia, the most popular destinations for Russian migration during wartime because of the visa free regime. The portraits of the couples explore their vulnerable mental state during the current darkest times by capturing their emotions somewhere in limbo, between the old life that has not finished yet and the new chapter that is about to begin. The couples photographed with their eyes closed. In this condition a person's imagination gains space and so they fight for it to become reality. All the characters of the story are dreaming of peace and hope to find the right path in the context of the ongoing events by the means of love. Is it possible at all with all these scars that the past leaves behind?
