The 2023 Sony World Photography Awards Professional competition results have been announced, with Portuguese photographer Edgar Martins winning the Photographer of the Year grand prize.
Martins’ grand prize winning project, Our War, which also won the Portraiture category, was captured in Libya and is a hommage to his late friend, photojournalist Anton Hammerl.
Our War is an original and nuanced tribute to the photographer’s late friend the photojournalist Anton Hammerl, who was abducted and killed on 5 April 2011 by government militia, during the Libyan Civil War. Frustrated by unsuccessful attempts to ascertain the whereabouts of his friend’s last mortal remains, Martins took matters into his own hands and travelled to Libya. He was brought in covertly by a petrol smuggler and was immediately faced with enormous challenges working in such a volatile environment. Realising that he would not be able to carry out a thorough and independent investigation, Martins instead chose to reflect on the question: ‘how does one tell a story when there is no witness, no testimony, no evidence, no subject?’
In Our War Martins conjures and alludes to the absent central figure through a series of portraits of the people Hammerl had connected with and those involved in the fighting (freedom fighters or their descendants, ex-militia, local residents, Gaddafi loyalists or lookalikes, and so on). They were chosen because they either resembled him, had similar ideas and beliefs, or reminded Martins of him at different stages of their friendship. The project explores the idea of absence, of documenting, grieving, and honouring a subject as well as reflecting on the role of photography within a conflict zone. Martins’ approach is to confront these questions head-on: to embrace the idea of the fragmentary and the many contradictions and ambiguities intrinsic to war.
‘It is a huge honour to be recognised and although I am philosophical about awards and the subjective nature of someone’s choice, knowing that there were over 180,000 entries to this year’s Professional competition, is very humbling,’ said Martins. ‘In this case, it is also quite an emotional experience because I get to honour my friend on a world stage and bring attention to the family’s plight to find his remains. There’s no award that has the reach of the Sony World Photography Awards.’
Martins has won US$25,000, a solo presentation of his work at next year’s Sony World Photography Awards exhibition, as well as a range of Sony camera gear.
Sony also announced 10 category winners, as well as the overall winners of the Open, Youth and Student competitions. No Australians were among the category winners.
Open Competition winner – Mighty Pair by Dinorah Graue Obscura
Photo: Dinorah Graue Obscura.
Architecture & Design – Cement Factory by Fan Li
Tieshan Cement Factory is located in Guilin City in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China. The factory was built in 1996 and played an important role in Guilin’s economic development and urban construction. However, because it was originally located in the Li River Scenic Area of Guilin, the cement factory has now been relocated, leaving behind the old buildings, water towers, pools and railway tracks. Photo: Fan Li.
Creative – Right To Play by Lee-Ann Olwage
What do girls dream of? And what happens when a supportive environment is created where girls are empowered and given the opportunity to learn and dream? The Right to Play creates a playful world where girls are shown in an empowered and affirming way. Worldwide, it is estimated that around 129 million girls are out of school and only 49 percent of countries have achieved gender parity in primary education, with the gap widening at secondary school level. Every day, girls face barriers to education caused by poverty, cultural norms and practices such as FGM, poor infrastructure and violence. For this project, I worked with girls from Kakenya’s Dream in Enoosaen, Kenya who have avoided FGM and child marriage, showing what the world can look like when girls are given the opportunity to continue learning in an environment that supports them and their dreams. Photo: Lee-Ann Olwage.
Documentary Projects – The Women’s Peace Movement in Congo by Hugh Kinsella Cunningham
Nearly 20 years on from a conflict that killed five million people and upended tenfold more lives, the Democratic Republic of Congo is once again sliding into chaos. As renewed conflict with the M23 rebels, massacres and regional militarisation caught the world’s attention this year, the vital contribution of women to peace remains invisible. Despite escalating violence, some women are working to create dialogue between armed actors and communities. They track human rights violations, warn of impending violence and plead with rebel leaders to stop attacks. In doing so, they take immense risks. Pairing rare visuals of the frontlines with portraits and in-depth stories from women, this long-term project follows activists as they mobilise. While media crews come in briefly to shoot scenes of war and displacement, I have spent many months in hard to access areas covering conflict and documenting the slow work of peace from a unique perspective. Photo: Hugh Kinsella Cunningham.
Environment – Miruku by Marisol Mendez & Federico Kaplan
Miruku focuses on the Wayuus, an indigenous population from La Guajira, Colombia’s coastal desert. Commissioned by 1854/British Journal of Photography and WaterAid, the project examines how a combination of climate change issues and human negligence have led its various members to experience a stifling water shortage. In the region, the problem is cyclical and polymorphous. While some communities can achieve certain stability during rainy seasons, temperatures are bound to rise, drying up the land again. Global warming only aggravates this, causing droughts and famine, and spoiling the facilities and installations that help source clean water. Photo: Marisol Mendez & Federico Kaplan.
Landscape – Event Horizon by Kacper Kowalski
At the start of winter I set out on a journey in search of harmony. Driven by instinct, I ventured further and further until I passed the boundaries of rationality. Whether it was fog or snow, frost or thaw, I took to the sky to see if it was possible to fly. When I could, I flew over frozen bodies of water, fascinated by their icy forms. Between January and March I made 76 solo flights in a gyrocopter or a motorised paraglider, covering around 10,000 kilometres (6,200 miles) and spending 200 hours in the air. My photographs were taken from a height of approximately 50-150 metres (165-495 feet) above bodies of water near Tricity in northern Poland.
Portfolio by James Deavin
This portfolio was shot in the first half of 2022 in Saudi Arabia, where I was based at the time. Given more time, I think these pictures would have fallen into more defined projects or narratives, perhaps relating to the large migrant worker and expat population (of which I was part), or Saudi car culture. As it is, I believe this collection shows my style and technique as a photographer – there is no deliberate connection between the images other than I was searching for special photographs that could eventually develop into projects. Photo: James Deavin.
Sport – Female Pro Baseball Player Succeeds in All Male Pro League by Al Bello
Kelsie Whitmore is the first female professional baseball player to play in an all-male pro league. She plays outfield and pitches for the Staten Island Ferryhawks in the Atlantic League of professional baseball. Her debut in the Atlantic League was as a pinch runner on 22 April 2022, and on 1 May she became the first woman to start an Atlantic League game, when she played as a left fielder. Just three days later she was the first woman to pitch in an Atlantic League game and on 3 September 2022 Kelsie became the first woman to record a hit in association with Major League Baseball. Photo: Al Bello.
Still Life – The Sky Garden by Kechun Zhang
Landscape gardening is a practice dating back to ancient times; Nebuchadnezzar II of the Babylonian Empire built a garden complex in the sky for his homesick princess consort, which was known as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The Sky Garden series takes its name from this history. Three years ago I settled down in Wenjiang, and there is a tree nursery within walking distance of my home. Exotic trees and rocks from all over the world can be seen there, including Japanese black pines and maple trees. There are workers lifting these trees and rocks with mobile cranes every day, transporting them and planting them in newly built parks, neighbourhoods or streets in the city. I walk through the woods and take photographs when the trees and rocks are being lifted into the air. Together, these images create The Sky Garden series. Photo: Kechun Zhang.
Wildlife & Nature – Cities Gone Wild by Corey Arnold
Cities Gone Wild is an exploration of three savvy animals — black bears, coyotes and raccoons — that have uniquely equipped to survive and even thrive in the human built landscape while other animals are disappearing. I tracked these animals in cities across America to reveal a more intimate view of how wildlife is adapting to increased urbanization. Photo: Corey Arnold.
Be First to Comment