Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award Newcomer 2017

Sergey Melnitchenko is the recipient of this year’s Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award for his series Behind the Scenes. For this award-winning collection, the Ukrainian photographer managed to capture an unusual glimpse backstage at a Chinese dance club – beyond the glitter and glamour of the entertainment business. One of his favourite images shows a young dancer bearing the painful-looking traces of a cupping therapy.

“This is one of my favorite photos from the whole series. When I came to China and saw these kind of ring marks on people, I was shocked. Then someone explained to me that it’s a traditional, Chinese form of therapy. It’s perfectly okay for a person to go to work, even if the rings made by the cupping treatment are visible. I was also shocked because anyone willing to do such a therapy in Ukraine, would surely wear clothes that cover it up so that no one can see it.

So, when I entered the dressing room and saw this girl’s back and how she was sitting, I immediately realised that it would be one of the most powerful pictures in the series. Even if everyone in China knows that these ring marks are part of a medical treatment – in other parts of the world people don’t know. I love it. It's powerful. Especially the whole color of the picture, the pose and the ring marks, of course. I love everything in this photo.”

You will find all the pictures belonging to Sergey Melnitchenko's award-winning series at Leica Oskar Barnack Award.