The series focuses on the Wayuus, an indigenous population of La Guajira, the coastal desert of Colombia. / Photo: Press
The awards “Sony World Photography Awards”one of the most important in the world photographic calendar, recognized the duo made up of Federico Kaplanfrom Argentina, and Marisol Mendezfrom Bolivia, in first place in the Environment category for its series “Miruku”which addresses the climate crisis from the perspective of Wayuusan indigenous population located in La Guajira, Colombia.
The award ceremony, which took place in London, also announced the winners of the “Latin America Professional Award”Angela Ponce, Frederick Olivera and Carloman Céspedes, of Peruvian nationality, as well as the “Photographer of the Year”which was for Edgar Martins, of Portuguese origin.
On this occasion, the duo made up of Marisol Méndez from Bolivia and Federico Kaplan from Argentina won first place in the Environment category within the Professional competition with their series “Miruku”.
The series focuses on the Wayuus, an indigenous population of La Guajira, Colombia’s coastal desert, and examines how a combination of climate change issues and human neglect have led its various members to experience crippling water scarcity.
This work frames the story from a female perspective to better understand how gender inequality and climate vulnerability are interrelated.
“We do not approach the documentary genre in a traditional way, so having the support of a prestigious institution like the Sony World Photography Awards increased our confidence and provided us with a safety net to continue exploring and challenging the language of the medium,” commented Méndez and Kaplan.
“The exposure that the award gives is unparalleled. Our story went global and we were able to connect with key people and opportunities within the industry,” the winners added.
The work frames the story from a female perspective to better understand how gender inequality and climate vulnerability are interrelated./ Photo: Press
The winning works
On the other hand, the title of the Photographer of the Year of the Sony World Photography Awards 2023 corresponds to the acclaimed Portuguese photographer Edgar Martins for his series “Our War”a tribute to photojournalist Anton Hammerl, who was killed during the Libyan Civil War in 2011.
Winning and shortlisted photographers’ works are displayed in a prestigious annual exhibition at the Somerset House in London, open to the public until May 1st: this is a collection of exceptional images, from breathtaking landscapes to sports snapshots and striking portraits from the most unexpected corners of the world.
The exhibition houses all award categories, including a special selection of 20 images by Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi, recipient of the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards Outstanding Contribution to Photography.
Kawauchi She is the sixteenth recipient of this award, which honors a person who has had a significant impact on the photographic medium and has been won in the past by Martin Parr, William Eggleston, Candida Hofer and Graciela Iturbide, among others.
More than 415,000 images from 200 countries were submitted to the 16th edition of the Sony World Photography Awards, one of the most important events in the world photographic calendar produced by the World Photography Organisation.
