Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize

On November 16, 2016, it was announced that Claudio Rasano won the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2016 for his portrait of a Johannesburg schoolboy. The photograph was shot in daylight, outdoors and in front of a plain white paper background. The sitter for this particular inkjet print is eighteen-year-old Katlehong Matsenen.

The prestigious £15,000 award was presented to the Swiss-Italian photographer at an awards ceremony last night (Tuesday, 15 November 2016).

Works of the three shortlisted photographers are exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery, London. On view 17 November, 2016 through 26 February, 2017.

In his series ‘Bei Mir Bistu Shein’, US American artist Kovi Konowiecki portrays Orthodox Jews from around the world. The colours and floral background create a painting-like quality, highlighting the mysticism of the subjects and their association with a history that many may find unfamiliar.

US American artist Joni Sternbach was born in the Bronx, NY in 1953. Her long-term projects involve the pursuit and understanding of the Western landscape and the series ‘Surfland’, which features large-format tintype portraits of surfers.

The winner, Swiss-Italian photographer Claudio Rasano was born in 1970, Basel, Switzerland. His series ‘Similar Uniforms: We Refuse to Compare’ was taken in February 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa and focuses on issues of preserving individuality in the context of school uniforms.

Please find more information at The National Portrait Gallery