Hidden faces, high impact: ‘Rebellious' photographer wins $50k prize
Her winning work, Untitled #01 (from the series Code Black/Riot) – judged the best of 48 finalists culled from more than 1400 entries – was taken in Far North Queensland last year, where Afshar was working with First Nations advocacy groups to raise awareness of high rates of youth arrest and detention.
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Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
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‘Defiantly beautiful' image of First Nations youth challenges us all
Photographer and documentary-maker Hoda Afshar has won the National Photographic Portrait Prize for the second time with a powerful image that challenges Australia's treatment of First Nations children. The Melbourne-based artist took out the $50,000 prize on Friday with Untitled #01 from her 2024 series, Code Black/Riot. Created in collaboration with young people in Far North Queensland, the series highlights laws allowing children as young as 10 to be imprisoned – among the lowest ages for criminal responsibility in the world. Afshar worked with Cairns-based Youth Empowered Towards Independence and Sydney advocacy group Change the Record. Participants were invited to conceal their identities while making a personal statement. Some chose a flag, mask or face paint. The three girls in Afshar's winning image chose a simple, defiant gesture. 'The children refuse to be passive in front of the camera or be seen as broken or as victims,' Afshar says. 'They're being cheeky and playful and funny, and they want to be seen as tough. They know the camera that is pointed at them historically wanted to capture them, looking in a certain way. They refuse to be seen like that.' Iranian-born Afshar first won the prize in 2015 with Portrait of Ali (2014), cementing her place in the Australian contemporary art scene. 'Back then I was a migrant artist who was trying really hard to convince everyone I've got something to say that could be worth hearing,' she says. 'You have to justify your position in the new country to get people to take you seriously. That moment gave me the confidence to continue doing what I'm doing now.' The seeds of Code Black/Riot were planted years ago when Afshar met lawyer Sophie Trevitt, who was campaigning to raise the age of criminal responsibility for Indigenous children. Trevitt died in 2023, but her work left a lasting impact on Afshar.
The Age
5 days ago
- The Age
‘Defiantly beautiful' image of First Nations youth challenges us all
Photographer and documentary-maker Hoda Afshar has won the National Photographic Portrait Prize for the second time with a powerful image that challenges Australia's treatment of First Nations children. The Melbourne-based artist took out the $50,000 prize on Friday with Untitled #01 from her 2024 series, Code Black/Riot. Created in collaboration with young people in Far North Queensland, the series highlights laws allowing children as young as 10 to be imprisoned – among the lowest ages for criminal responsibility in the world. Afshar worked with Cairns-based Youth Empowered Towards Independence and Sydney advocacy group Change the Record. Participants were invited to conceal their identities while making a personal statement. Some chose a flag, mask or face paint. The three girls in Afshar's winning image chose a simple, defiant gesture. 'The children refuse to be passive in front of the camera or be seen as broken or as victims,' Afshar says. 'They're being cheeky and playful and funny, and they want to be seen as tough. They know the camera that is pointed at them historically wanted to capture them, looking in a certain way. They refuse to be seen like that.' Iranian-born Afshar first won the prize in 2015 with Portrait of Ali (2014), cementing her place in the Australian contemporary art scene. 'Back then I was a migrant artist who was trying really hard to convince everyone I've got something to say that could be worth hearing,' she says. 'You have to justify your position in the new country to get people to take you seriously. That moment gave me the confidence to continue doing what I'm doing now.' The seeds of Code Black/Riot were planted years ago when Afshar met lawyer Sophie Trevitt, who was campaigning to raise the age of criminal responsibility for Indigenous children. Trevitt died in 2023, but her work left a lasting impact on Afshar.
