Wellcome Photography Prize 2025: When photography meets science, health and the human experience
2025's laureates are UK-based artist Sujata Setia; Bangladeshi documentary and street photographer Mithail Afrige Chowdhury; and UK-based electron microscopy specialist and science photographer Steve Gschmeissner.
Their works capture powerful stories exploring domestic abuse, climate migration and the hidden dangers of cholesterol.
Each awarded a £10,000 prize at a ceremony held at the Francis Crick Institute in London.
Check out their winning images:
A Thousand Cuts by Sujata Setia (Storytelling Series)
Sujata Setia was recognised for A Thousand Cuts, a portrait project developed with survivors of domestic abuse within South Asian communities.
'Each image is a composite of personal testimony, visual symbolism, and traditional craft. Setia worked with the women and with the charity SHEWISE to create portraits that protected anonymity without erasing identity, applying the Indian paper-cutting technique sanjhi to overlay each photograph.'
Check out Euronews Culture's video on the A Thousand Cuts project.
About the win, Sujata Setia said: 'This is a monumental recognition. A Thousand Cuts being selected for Wellcome Photography Prize affirms that health cannot be separated from the histories that shape it. And that domestic abuse is never a singular event; it leaves a direct, trans-generational imprint on health.'
'As a child who grew up in a home where violence was a daily occurrence, I carry that trauma like another limb,' she added. 'This recognition validates not just my story, but the invisible, intangible, yet deeply scarring legacy of gender-based abuse.'
'Domestic abuse is one of the most widespread global crimes; and yet remains among the least publicly acknowledged health crises. I hope this moment becomes a catalyst for deeper dialogue and scholarship around the interrelation between domestic abuse and health. That is our collective hope.'
Urban Travel by Mithail Afrige Chowdhury (Striking Solo Photography)
'A deceptively gentle image of a mother and daughter on a rooftop picnic in Dhaka. With few parks left in the city due to rapid urbanisation, this staged moment, a simple attempt to give a child a taste of nature, becomes an act of resilience.'
'Nearly half of Dhaka's population today are climate migrants, displaced by increasingly extreme weather, and Chowdhury's work highlights the everyday consequences of these shifts: the loss of green space, of childhood rituals, of breath.'
About the win, Mithail Afrige Chowdhury said: 'When I got the news, the first thing I did was charge my camera— not to take a photo, but to restart something I thought I'd lost. I won't dwell on personal or professional hardships, but this moment means more than I can say.'
Chowdhury added: 'I made this image two years ago, as part of a major project on climate change, urban sustainability, and public health. Then life intervened, and fear slowly pulled me away from the work I loved. But now, I can wake up with an objective. Because someone has my back. And that makes all the difference. Awards can feel technical but this recognition from Wellcome feels deeply human.'
Cholesterol in the Liver by Steve Gschmeissner (The Marvels of Scientific and Medical Imaging)
Steve Gschmeissner's electron microscopy image Cholesterol in the Liver reveals cholesterol crystals (shown in blue) forming inside lipid-laden liver cells (purple).
'These microscopic shifts, invisible to the naked eye, can have deadly consequences: when cholesterol hardens from liquid to crystal, it damages blood vessels and contributes to heart disease and strokes. Gschmeissner's colourised SEM image transforms this biological process into something visually striking, part data, part artwork. With a career spanning over four decades, and more than 10,000 images published in scientific journals, stamp collections, fashion collaborations, and music albums, his work exemplifies how imaging can bridge science and culture.'
About the win, Steve Gschmeissner said: 'When I discovered that Wellcome had reintroduced the Marvels of Scientific and Medical Imaging category, I was delighted to enter such a prestigious competition. I was thrilled to be shortlisted, and winning first prize is undoubtedly one of the highlights of my 50-year career of trying to bring the wonders of the microscopic world to all.'
You can find the full list of the finalists for the Storytelling, Striking Solo Photography and The Marvels of Scientific and Medical Imaging here.
Wellcome supports discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and take on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate and health.
The top 25 entries are on display in the Wellcome Photography Prize 2025 exhibition, which is free and open to the public at the Francis Crick Institute, London, running from 17 July to 18 October 2025.
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