We are delighted to announce that MAP6 members Leia Ankers and Heather Shuker have been shortlisted for Portraits of Intimacy for The Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards. The KLPA is an annual global portrait photography prize seeking the very best and fresh entries from photographers. Initiated in 2009, KLPA is recognised as a significant and vital award in the photography calendar, supporting and rewarding contemporary portraiture practice especially in the South East Asian region.
Heather’s finalist image
From the series Kolonko about young sex workers in a safe house in Sierra Leone.
I met with the girls inside the safe house. The girls range from just 12 years old to mid 20s orphaned from the Ebola outbreak in 2014-15. Each girl spoke about experiences on the street and their fears and about their hopes and dreams for the future. The portraits are intentionally dark and show just a glimpse of each girl to conceal their identity. This was not requested, however, it was my chosen approach. All the portraits were also made within the two dark and tiny rooms where up to 20 girls will bed down for some sleep in between working on the streets, going to school and sharing chores within the safe house. The darkness is part of the girls’ life both at night and sleeping in the dark tiny room away from the sunlight of the day.
You can see more of the project on Heather’s website
Leia’s finalist image
This portrait from my series ‘The Same As You’ which was instigated and informed from having a disability myself as I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 3. When I hit my teens, this had a substantial impact; I felt quite secluded when I began secondary school as each year I would be off school for a long period of time after my operations. These personal differences from a young age introduced me to the experience of stigma, of being the ‘Other’ and as I got older I decided I wanted to take this into my photographic work. I wanted to change the way that people with dual sensory impairment and additional disabilities are perceived by society. This is how ‘The Same As You’ began. I met Cordelia through Birgit who is a friend of my mothers. Birgit is Cordelia’s carer and as a result of their closeness and bond, I was also able to build a connection and relationship with her. Cordelia is blind in one eye, deaf and has cerebral palsy. Cordelia’s independence is easiest achieved in water as she can move alone without the support of her wheelchair. The hydrotherapy pool is Cordelia’s place of freedom and this is the reason why her portrait took place there; it portrays her personality and allows her to be seen how she wants to be.
You can see more of the project on Leia’s website
You can view the Portraits of Intimacy Finalist Gallery here
The exhibition of Portraits of Intimacy will be shown at Exposure + Photo Festival in Kuala Lumpur. The exhibition starts on the 16 September - 01 October at Temu House