So happy to receive a total of 20 awards at the recent European Photography Awards 2023.
A total of 4 Platinum Awards, 15 Gold Awards with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea bringing home the Category Winner of the Year.
All photos are from the recent Venice Carnevale and my recent trips to Kyoto.
This is a pleasant surprise after a long hiatus during the covid pandemic when I had almost zero new works for 3 years.
About the winning photos....
20000 Leagues under the Sea: my 2023 edition of Jules Verne's 20000 League Under the Sea...Steampunk/ Venetian version. Every year, my old friend Isabelle Rombi and I will do portraits at the Acqua Alta Libreria…her love for fairy tales, books, paintings and all things related to the sea…
The Venice Carnevale (Series): A set of 8 photos done for this contest. The Venice Carnevale, renowned as the world's most beautiful festival, dazzles with its extravagant masked costumes donned by wonderful attendees. Beyond the masks, locals exude charm in their preference for painted faces and historical garb, adding to the festival's allure.Masked revellers primarily hail from neighbouring countries, including France, Belgium, Austria, and Germany, contributing to Carnevale's vibrant cosmopolitan atmosphere. Discover the harmonious fusion of cultures, where artistry and tradition unite in this enchanting celebration. Step into a realm of captivating wonder as this photography exhibition unveils the multifaceted beauty and allure of the Venice Carnevale.
Si02 Element: A sci-fi comic theme inspired portrait at the Venice Carnevale with costumes from Nicola Pignoli.
Persecution of the Kings: One of my most iconic works so far. During Carnevale, the whole Venice becomes a real life theatrical stage, and many of these historical costumes carry deep perspectives...Persecution of the Kings is also one of the Top 101 Portrait Photographs of the Year (Portrait Story category) in the 2023 International Portrait Photographer of the Year awards and included in their annual book. It has been recently featured on The Times and Guardian newspapers.
Capodimonte: my personal favourite. Named after the iconic Italian porcelain figures of the 1700s. Capodimonte is a distinctive style of porcelain that stands apart from all the other ceramic traditions of southern Italy. This delicate, ornate porcelain--historically produced outside of Naples -- is immediately recognizable for its tiny pastel flowers, sprays of buds, baskets, and elegant figurines. Today Capodimonte is a popular collectible throughout Italy as well as abroad. The costume is designed and made by famous Italian tailor Angelo Poretti.
Becoming a Geisha: The new Maiko Tomifuku is a real charmer. Just a simple portrait at a local restaurant because it was raining heavily outside and we were unable to enjoy the autumn leaves outside. So we have to make do with just Tomifuku standing in front of an oil painting.
The Four Seasons of Autumn (Series): My first Autumn series of the Geisha girls from TomiGiku, a tale of 4 of my Geisha friends...
YukiYanagi: A portrait for the very beautiful geiko Tomitae. This is one of the most famous and popular geishas of all time. She's wearing a coral coloured kimono with YukiYanagi (Snow Willow Flower ) motifs. The YukiYanagi has been described as snowflakes turning into flowers, a beautiful sight flying in the garden...bunches of graceful snow willows, like a string of snowflakes flying in the sky. Snow willow blooms in spring and fruits in autumn. The flower symbolises uniqueness, abundant harvest and good fortune.
Kumano Kodō: The Kumano Kodō (熊野古道) is a series of ancient pilgrimage routes that crisscross the Kii Hantō, the largest peninsula of Japan. The Kodo ("old ways") are a key part of the region's World Heritage designation and have been in use for more than 1000 years. I met these two mysterious ladies at the trail, so I asked them for a photo...
I am glad the judges and organisers like my photos so much this time...