This year's winners of one of the world's most respected photography competitions, the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize, have been announced, including the first prize – a portrait taken by director and photographer Alexandre Silberman, from Paris, France.
The portrait is titled Diena and comes from Silberman's photo series NATURE (yes, its capitalised), where he explores the intersections between the human landscape and the natural world. The judges felt that the portrait "Encompassed a compelling blend of traditional and contemporary", noting that the "timeless" aesthetic mixed with hints of modernity such as the headphones. For becoming the grand prize winner Silberman earned £15,000 (around $18,200 / AU$28,500).
The new Taylor Wessing Photographic Commission was won by UK-based photographer Serena Brown, for her photograph me nana fie. The portrait depicts Browns's younger sister at their grandmother's house in Ghana. It was part of a larger project capturing characters that visit Brown's grandmother's house. The judges enjoyed the natural and spontaneous feel of the portrait, earning Brown the prize of £8,000 (around $9,750 / AU$15,200).
Second place went to Dutch photographer Gilleam Trapenberg for his portrait titled Kisha and LaDarayon from the series Currents which focuses on a mother and son relationship. Having been raised on the Dutch-Caribbean island of Curaçao, Trapenberg's work 'explores the contradictions and stereotypes of the social landscape of the Caribbean, focusing on vistas beyond the tourist tropes to explore a more nuanced and multifaceted understanding of daily life on the islands. For placing second, Trapenberd was awarded the prize of £3,000.
A joint third prize was awarded to Jake Green for Shaun Ryder, which gave a creative perspective of Happy Monday's lead singer, and Carl Francois van der Linde for Chotu Lal Upside Down, depicting pro wrestlers from Punjab. They were each awarded a prize of £2,000.
When asked about this year's competition Dr. Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery said, "Congratulations to the prize winners and all the shortlisted photographers who will be on display as part of the exhibition this year. The Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize always represents the very best of contemporary photographic talent, showcasing the array of unique perspectives and styles at work in the discipline today."
The winners, along with all the shortlisted photographs, will be exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery, London, UK, from November 9, 2023 to February 25, 2024. For more information about the competition and all of this year's incredible selected photographs, visit the official website.
The Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize is one of the most prestigious of its kind. If you wish to take portraits like some of the shortlisted winners, you may find our guides to the best camera for portraits and the best lenses for portraits a helpful starting point!
