The People's Choice winners in the annual Head On photo awards have been announced, with Marika Lortkipanidze's emotive image The invisible doors claiming the two-peat for 2022, after taking out the Head On Portrait Award last month and now the People’s Choice Potrait award.
Head On Portrait Award Winner Marika Lortkipanidze, 'The invisible doors'. "This image, taken during a production of The Threepenny Opera, depicts an interaction between society and people with Down’s syndrome. It is meant to capture that, beyond the invisible door, there are people with the same desires and abilities to live their lives to the fullest – to love, fear, succeed, fail, and rise back up – like we all do. There is no place for boundaries or limits; all over the world, diversity helps to break them down." Image: Head On festival/Supplied
The People's Choice Landscape Award has been awarded to Demetris Koilalous for his image Untitled.
Demetris Koilalous, Untitled. This image from the series Heterotopia explores the topographic evolution of Israel, from the primeval landscape of the ancient Mitzpe Ramon crater to the artificial gardens in the Kibbutz. Heterotopia attempts an insight into the ways that national, political, and cultural identities are shaped and reproduced in contemporary Israel and explores the writing of History by looking at what has been accomplished in the name of the Promised Land.
Finally, the Student award for the People's Choice was awarded to Gillian Wang for her image Losing myself.
As Head On says, Gillian’s undescribed image speaks for itself. "It’s great to see a student photographer experimenting with the textural quality and effects of the medium to express emotion. The blurry movement and fuzzy black and white speak to the idea of losing yourself or losing control of the idea you have of who you are. An impactful image, that shows a lot of talent."
