Ismail Ferdous and Ziyi Le: Winners of the Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2023
Winner 2023: Ismail Ferdous
Cox’s Bazar is located at the southernmost point of Bangladesh. This destination, cherished by many of the country’s inhabitants, stretches along the Bay of Bengal. It is considered a cultural melting pot, drawing people from all walks of life and from all corners of society, seeking a moment of leisure and relaxation. The New York-based photographer, who was born in Bangladesh, returned to this special place to capture its unique atmosphere and beachgoers in vibrant colors.
Ismail Ferdous: “Cox’s Bazar beach represents a much sought-after escape to nature for an overpopulated country. It’s a place where anyone, regardless of their social status, can afford to take a vacation. Notable is the absence of a sense of urgency, as if time itself implores people to shed all their burdens and head to the beach. Winning the LOBA has not only brought immense joy to my day but has also made the entire year truly exceptional. This triumph testifies to the unwavering belief and passionate dedication I’ve devoted to my craft.”
About the Author
Ismail Ferdous was born in Bangladesh in 1989 and currently splits his time between New York and Bangladesh. He is a member of Paris’s Agence VU’ and his work is focused on social, cultural, and humanitarian themes. He first became interested in photography while studying at the business school in Dhaka. After the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Dhaka in 2013, one of the worst industrial disasters in Bangladesh’s history, which claimed the lives of over 1,100 workers, Ferdous provided a powerful photographic testimony. His documentary films and photographic projects, “The Cost of Fashion” and “After Rana Plaza,” shed light on the devastating effects of the “fast fashion” industry. His photography has also addressed the themes of migration and escape on four continents. Ferdous works for major newspapers and magazines and his work has received numerous awards.
New Comer 2023: Ziyi Le
The Chinese photographer began his project through Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform similar to Twitter, where he found people interested in his delicate portrait series. The photo sessions he stages are a way for him to reflect on his own self-doubts, feelings of alienation, and mental emptiness. The result is a touching portrait of the “New Comer,” a generation in search of personal development and their place in society.
Ziyi Le: “Throughout my growing up phase, I lacked communication and felt alienated for a long time, with a strong sense of being in the middle of nowhere. Harnessing my photographer’s instinct, I decided to explore the similar void in the state of mind of other young people like me, scattered in different cities, to see their faces and explore my deep doubts about myself.”
About the Author
Ziyi Le was born in 1993 in Fujian, and he currently lives and works as a freelance photographer in Yunnan. He initiated his LOBA project in March 2020 when he had moved to Hangzhou for professional reasons but had grown weary of the routine of his work. This prompted him to develop this portrait series of his generation.
About LOBA
Quoting Karin Rehn-Kaufmann:
“On behalf of the entire LOBA 2023 jury (Caroline Hunter, Photo Editor, The Guardian Saturday magazine, UK; Whitney Hollington Matewe, Photo Editor at TIME magazine, USA; François Hébel, Curator, France; and Luca Locatelli, Photographer, Italy), I would like to sincerely congratulate this year’s winners of the Leica Oskar Barnack Award. Together and with mutual respect, the jury has successfully completed the challenging task of selecting the finalists and winners. What we have seen reveals an LOBA edition characterized by particular strength, diversity, and touching series,” says Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Artistic Director and Principal Representative of Leica Galleries International.
The LOBA is one of the most prestigious and lucrative awards in the field of photography. The LOBA winner receives 40,000 euros and Leica photographic equipment worth 10,000 euros, while the Newcomer Award winner receives 10,000 euros and a Leica Q3.
Both winners will be awarded on October 12 with a special ceremony as part of an exhibition of all twelve selected series within a photography festival in Wetzlar. After the exhibition at the Ernst Leitz Museum in Wetzlar, LOBA 2023 will tour to other Leica Galleries and photography festivals around the world.
During the exhibition, the LOBA 2023 catalog will be presented, featuring the complete list of LOBA 2023 finalists, including their full photographic series and background information.
(Cover image by Ismail Ferdous)
More info on:
www.leica-oskar-barnack-award.com/en/
