Viewing Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2022

Returning to Cromwell Place in South Kensington this autumn is the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition 2022, featuring work by the three shortlisted photographers, Clémentine Schneidermann, Haneem Christian and Alexander Komenda, alongside the other final selected entries.

‘The 51 final selected submissions are a remarkable collection of images that reflect the competition’s international reach and demonstrate an extraordinary variety of themes and styles within the parameters of photographic portraiture,’ said Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery.

French photographer Clémentine Schneidermann won first prize for two portraits from her series ‘Laundry Day’, which document the daily chores of her neighbour in South Wales, navigating life in lockdown. ‘They document micro events which deal with the passage of time through the small moments of our daily lives,’ said Schneidermann.

Second prize was awarded to South African poet and artist Haneem Christian for Mother and Daughter and Rooted, photographs from two different series which explore themes of queerness and transness in relation to family, race and identity. The judges praised the works for their striking yet tender composition, and the deep trust visible between the sitters and the photographer.

Alexander Komenda won third prize for Zahid’s Son, a poignant portrait from his ongoing series, The Lost Enchiridion of the Fergana Valley, that examines themes of identity and the post-Soviet landscape in Kyrgyzstan.