On November 12th, The National Portrait Gallery once again recognised the best in contemporary photography by awarding the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2024. A sitter challenging societal norms, a mother figure in her moment of vulnerability, the colonial legacy, the eternal theme of parenthood, and all the topics where the camera helps the artist cope with reality. Here are the winners of one of the most forward-thinking photo competitions.
Steph Wilson, a British artist working between London and Paris, won the main prize of £15,000 for her portrait “Sonam” from the “Ideal Mother” series, reimagining motherhood in a visually striking way. The image depicts Sonam, a sitter, as Wilson’s ambition was to present the sitters as more than just mothers and a whole person capable of many achievements. With a direct, unsmiling gaze, short-cropped hair, and a fake moustache that she wears as both a statement of her career and a reference to times when she was told to embrace her masculine features. This work is a testament to Wilson’s mission to present motherhood in a multifaceted and authentic way.
“This is a portrait of balance, of blending, and of broadening conversations on pregnancy and parenthood”, said the judges, emphasising the image’s complexity and emotional depth while challenging the audience’s assumptions.
The £3,000 second prize went to Australian photographer Adam Ferguson for three portraits made for his “Big Sky” project, which explores the interplay between Indigenous life and modern culture in Australia. Made over 10 years during his extended journey into the Northern Territory and Western Australia, the series highlights Indigenous traditions alongside modern influences – the colonial legacy that underpins modern Australia. Kangaroo hunting and Taylor Swift clothing against the backdrop of a forgotten desert – he judges praised the series for its ability to juxtapose historical narratives with contemporary realities, revealing layers of modern life and global influence.
Tjitske Sluis’s “Mom” received the £2,000 third prize. Part of the series “Out of Love, Out of Necessity”, the photo portrays the Dutch photographer’s mother during her final days of life while Sluis cared for her. This deeply personal work reflects the vulnerability and resilience that characterised both the mother and daughter. Using her camera as a coping device, while her mother, Teuntje, found the act of photography as tension-relieving humour, Sluis presents her mom sleeping on a floral blanket – strength despite physical frailty. This series even sparked a debate in the Dutch Parliament about the ethics and mental load of home care.
Jesse Navarre Vos, a filmmaker and photographer from Cape Town, South Africa, currently based in London, received the £8000 photographic commission to create a new work for the NPG’s collection. His series “I’ll Come for You” tells the story of the relationship with his adoptive mother, Edith, who is also his biological paternal grandmother. The chosen image, “Mom, I’ll Follow You Still”, captures a moment in Edith’s life at the care facility and the emotional and physical separation between her and Jesse. The judges praised Vos’s ability to capture the intimacy and strength of his mother despite the difficult circumstances in his life. Details like the pillow holding the lift door open add an unexpected poignancy to this sensitive and calm portrait.
The winning works are on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London till February 16th. For almost 10 years now, the exhibition has featured the In Focus display showcasing new work by acclaimed photographers from around the world. This time, photographs by Diana Markosian from her latest series, “Father”, are shown alongside the winning works. The series of this American artist of Armenian descent delves into her journey of piecing together an image of her long-lost father. In this work made over the course of a decade, Markosian enhances the images with prose, sharing her deeply personal story. The audience also has a chance to see a newly unveiled portrait of the clean-air advocate Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah by Serena Brown, last year’s winner of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Commission.
The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize is an annual prize in photographic portraiture awarded by the National Portrait Gallery in London since 2003. The exhibition of the winning works takes place from 14 November 2024 to 16 February 2025. Along with the winning portraits, the visitors can also see 62 works selected from more than 4,800 entries from photographers from 50 countries.