The 8th Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards (KLPA) for Portrait Photography is pleased to announce the list of Top 25 finalists photographers in each of the 2 main entry categories.

A- Stillness & Distance themed and B- Open. The photographers selected for the Special Select Juror Prizes and the South East Asian Top Entry prizes are also announced.

The 7 judges met in Kuala Lumpur on the 7 and 8 May weekend, and spent the two full days discussing, and making their final selections, including the winning portraits, from 1,627 entries.

The prizewinners will be announced in mid July, 2016 on the website in advance of the public exhibition of all the finalists portraits at the Whitebox Gallery, PUBLIKA in Kuala Lumpur, from 6 – 17 August, 2016. All prizewinners have been invited to attend the Awards presentation on the Saturday 6 August from 5pm to 8pm. More Info..

JUDGE’S QUOTES

“The submitted photographs encompassed diverse issues of economic crisis, political refugees, religious rules, abuses of women, gender, and sexuality amongst others. The photographers revealed human suffering, resistance, and injustices, differently and uniquely. All the submitted works were impressive, which made difficult sometimes for the jurors to find agreement.” Dr. Oh Soon-Hwa

“I particularly relish how photography is against formalism. Some of the entries we saw this year were both diverting and amusing; quietly sombre yet entwined with a stirring sense of self-empowerment (just look at Category A’s winner). Some of them – photos that depict events outside the realm of normality like war, human trafficking, sexual abuse – shook us to moral consciousness, making us even more aware of our own moral shortcomings. These are powerful images, indeed, but we shouldn’t be too obsessed with an unforgettable photo and hope that it will miraculously effect change.” Kong Wai Yeng 

“Our choices were made with plenty of discussions. In my opinion, we selected a deserving set of images and special congratulations go to the winners for submitting work that really got our attention. Around the edges of the finalists are many excellent portraits that, on another day may have very well been included in the final selection. Such is the nature of competition. We appreciate the efforts that you  have all put into selecting your images for submission. I hope that you are able to learn even more in reviewing the images that we chose as finalists and winners.

The themed category “Stillness and Distance” can lend itself to a bit of melancholy and it was interesting to see the theme interpreted to reflect strength rather than desolation, as remote rather than lonely. The best of the images were those in which the subject appears quietly determined.

I would encourage you to start making some portraits for KLPA2017. Keep up the good work and think about what you want to tell us about that person in front of your camera. When we call for submissions next year, you will be ready with more great images that ask us to take a second look!” Cheryl J Hoffmann