Joshua Irwandi
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Indonesia, 18 April 2020: The body of a suspected coronavirus victim, wrapped in yellow infectious waste plastic bags and wrappers, lies on the patient’s deathbed awaiting a body bag in a hospital in Indonesia. The wrapping of the patient, which takes two nurses a full hour to complete through three layers of plastic and nine times of disinfection, is intended to suppress the spread of coronavirus. As mandated by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the wrapping of the body is a standard procedure for every suspected, comorbid, and positive confirmed COVID-19 death. This process continues until today. After the image was published by National Geographic, the image sparked denial and strong reaction across social media. Many who saw the image declared it to be a setup intended to spread fear. By the end of the year, Indonesia had reported around 743,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 22,000 deaths.
Joshua Irwandi (Jakarta, 1991) is a documentary photographer represented by VII Photo Agency Mentorship program and a National Geographic Explorer based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Irwandi received a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and pursued graduate studies in photojournalism and documentary photography at London College of Communication. While working in West Papua, Indonesia, Irwandi was embedded as museum staff at the Asmat Museum and focused on a long-term project on the Asmat people. His project ‘Not A Blank Canvas’ has been awarded the National Geographic Society storytelling grant in 2021. Irwandi’s work is part of Forhanna Foundation Fund for Young Talent and National Geographic Society’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists grants. He was exhibited at Breda Photo Festival in the Netherlands. One of his images, ‘The Human Cost of COVID-19’, sparked controversy in Indonesia when it went viral after publication by National Geographic. In 2021, he was selected as one of the speakers for the National Geographic Society’s Storytellers Summit. Recently, he was awarded the 2021 World Press Photo Award in General News, Grand Prize winner for Lucie Foundation, and selected as a finalist of The Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography, among several other awards. Irwandi’s work has been featured in National Geographic, NHK, The Times of London, The Globe and Mail, CNN, TIME, and The Guardian.
Categories judged by Joshua: Spot News / Portraits / General News / Portrait Series / Cultural Practices / Photographer of the Year, Asia
Quick links to POY Asia 2024 Judges: Gülbin Özdamar Akarçay / Lam Chun Tung / Forough Alaei / Wan Chantavilasvong / Joshua Irwandi / Jessica Lim / Saiyna Bashir / Steven Lee / Yuki Tanaka / Shuchi Kapoor
The Indonesian government plans to build its new capital city on this site, a paper-industry forest in the East Kalimantan province of Borneo. This is what the site looked like in October 2021; construction is to begin in August 2022. From National Geographic feature: Indonesia’s giant capital city is sinking. Can the government’s plan save it?
"Humility is the biggest lesson I have learned from my work as a photojournalist. We are only documenting a slice of history in the continuum of time. It reminds us of our insignificance in the universe. Recording memories for history is my only task."
Joshua Irwandi
Residents of Pesanggrahan in West Jakarta wait out the 2020 flood on their second floor. The flood caused an estimated $70 million in damages. From National Geographic feature: Indonesia’s giant capital city is sinking. Can the government’s plan save it?
The Waladuna Mosque in Muara Baru in North Jakarta has been affected by coastal floods since 2000 and is now no longer used. From National Geographic feature: Indonesia’s giant capital city is sinking. Can the government’s plan save it?
Kharis, a young member of the Punan Batu, played a guitar made of terap wood at a rock shelter in Sadau, Borneo. From New York Times: A Vanishing Nomadic Clan, With a Songlike Language All Their Own
