The Australian home
of photography
Three reasons why you should be entering the William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize
1. Be seen
All entrants’ work will be seen by those that can make a difference to your career. Our esteemed judging panel* look at all the entries – no shortlist or pre-selection going on here. All finalists are exhibited at MGA (the Australian home of photography) so your work gets seen by collectors, your peers, the arts community and new diverse audiences.
*At this point we would like to thank our judges, Chris Saines, Director of the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), contemporary artist Dr Christian Thompson AO and our very own Director, Anouska Phizacklea, for the hundreds of artist statements that we’ll be sending their way!
Installation view with judging panel
2. Get published
Join the collection of finalists’ work presented in this super cool catalogue. This beautifully designed* limited edition creates a snap-shot of contemporary photographic practice in Australia.
*Shout out to our friends at Pidgeon Ward
Catalogue with cover by Michael Cook
3. Be recognised
Stand up and be recognised by your peers and the loving arts community (or just join us for the party). The winner takes home a healthy $30,000 cheque to support their practice and their work enters the MGA Collection, the only public collection solely dedicated to Australian photography. There are also three Colour Factory Honourable Mentions and the Sotheby’s Australia People’s Choice Award recipient also pockets $5,000. Nice.
Hoda Afshar at the announcement event
‘Winning the Bowness Photography Prize with this portrait of Behrouz Boochani is not only a glorious moment in my career as an artist, but also a confirmation of the trust that I have always placed in the power of art to change the world through changing the way we see it. The Bowness Prize is a record of our current times, as seen through the lens of a group of unique visionaries. The selection of works on display every year shows us what is at stake, and receiving this award is for me a testament to the fact that what is at stake today is our humanity. I hope that winning this prize will contribute, in some way, to redrawing the lines that divide us and those who have been placed outside the safe borders of our human community.’
— Hoda Afshar, 2018 Bowness Photography Prize winner
Enter the Bowness Photography Prize
What are you waiting for? Start your entry today. If you have any questions please email bowness@monash.vic.gov.au
Register here
Enter here
Image captions:
1. 2014 Bowness Photography Prize winner
Petrina HICKS
Venus 2013
from the series The shadows
Monash Gallery of Art, City of Monash Colelction
courtesy of the artist and Michael Reid (Sydney + Berlin)
2. Installation view of 2018 Bowness Photography Prize with judging panel, Michael Brand, David Rosetzky and Anouska Phizaclea (artworks by Marian Drew, Justine Varga and Isobel Markus-Dunworth)
3. 2018 Bowness Photography Prize catalogue featuring cover image by Michael Cook
4. 2018 Bowness Photography Prize winner Hoda Afshar at the announcement event
