Best female, male photographers honoured at Xposure 2024
The inaugural edition designed by the International Photography Festival highlights exemplary photographic works that portray the photographer’s unique artistic perspectives
The inaugural edition of the Global Focus Project of the Xposure International Photography Festival (Xposure 2024) on Friday felicitated 12 photographers and two independent photojournalists with awards for their exemplary work that portrayed their home country through their unique artistic perspectives.
The photographers were nominated by industry experts from around the globe. Each nominee was asked to submit a body of work, and ater careful and thoughful consideration, a final selection of 12 photographers, one female and one male from each of the six continents, was chosen by an International Commitee of judges. The award was presented by Alia Al Suwaidi, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB).
Thandiwe Muriu, from Africa, won an award for her work “Camo,” which showcases Africa’s mix of vibrant textiles, cultural practices, and beauty ideologies. In the male category, Gurcharan Roopra won the award for his collection, “The High and Low of Wildlife Photography,” which is a blend of aerial shots and ground-level photography, showcasing the beauty of nature.
In Asia, Emily Garthwaite won the award for her work, “The Tears of the Tigris.” “The project started as an expedition and now the collection of photographs sheds light on the plight of people who are facing the brunt of the scarcity of water,” said Emily while receiving the award. Sirachai Arunrugstichai, a marine biologist, received the award for his work, “Divergent Currents: Opposite Paths of Marine Conservation in the Andaman Sea of Myanmar.” The project is an extension of his research. “I chose to photograph because many times people do not read research papers. It is easy to communicate through the medium of photographs,” Sirachai said.
From Australia and Oceania, Charlote Piho won the award for her work “Bridging the Gap: Human Emotions & Animal Emotions,” and Shane Hulbert took the award in the male category for his photo exhibition on “Import/export: Narratives & Myth in the Australian landscape.” Charlote highlighted how she uses a paddleboard in the seas and oceans to capture stunning images.
In Europe, Chantal Pinzi took the award for her work, “Shred the Patriarchy,” a project that inspires more women globally to express themselves through skateboarding. “I am continuing this project and going to India next,” she said. Mario Heller won the award for his exhibition on “Arctic Dreams.” Both these photographers from Europe said they used the internet for inspiration and ideation.
In North America, Erin Trieb’s work “The War at Home”, capturing the plight of American war veterans, won the award in the female category. Stephan Falke, on the other hand, won the award for his photographs clicked during the pandemic. Falke’s work, “Keep Going New York!!” showcases people in the city that has always bustled with activity but was lulled by the pandemic.
In South America, Gabriel Chaim won an award for his images that captured the realities of gold smuggling in Brazil. His work, “Amazon and the Gold of Hunger,” showcased hope and the reality of the land that has been plundered and polluted by smugglers. Johanna Alarcón won the award for “Cimarrona, I am Black because the Sun Looked at Me”.
The eighth annual International Photography Festival, Xposure, is organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB) and will be open until March 5 at Expo Centre Sharjah.
Separately, British artist and portrait photographer Mark Julian Edwards charmed the audience with his talk, ‘The Lenses of Perception: Seeing the Potential in Others,’ on the opening day of the Xposure International Photography Festival (Xposure 2024), being held at Expo Centre Sharjah until March 5.
Edwards, celebrated for his ability to blend coaching and photography, shared his insights into the transformative power of focusing on others’ strengths through the lens of photography.
Highlighting the profound human need to be seen and understood beyond surface-level perceptions, the Tedx speaker and writer said that professional photography should aim to fulfil people’s need to be seen by capturing more than just images - it should reveal the essence of its subjects.