Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar announced Monday the winners of its 2024 awards at a special event to mark World Photography Day, which falls on August 19 each year, at the Fire Station: Artists in Residence.
The winners of the 2024 Tasweer Project Award are Mahmoud Hamda from Palestine for his project "the journey of survival," Ismail Zaidi from Morocco for his project "the family," Muhannad Al Sudani from Iraq for his project "Al Ahwar," Iman Jamil from Morocco (untitled), Wafaa Samir Sayed Al Ahl from Egypt for her project "the heritage," Adam Rouhana from Palestine for his project "before freedom," Tamara Abdel Hadi from Iraq for her project "the Euphrates," Lina Giouchi from Egypt for her work "the pioneers," Musab Abu Shama from Sudan for his project "Tadween," and Shadi Al Tabatibi from Palestine (untitled).
The Tasweer Project Award is worth QR 30,000 for each winner, enabling the winning photographers to launch new projects or develop existing ones. The selected winners will have an exclusive opportunity to showcase their work and participate in a comprehensive program of public and online events.
The winners of the Tasweer Single Image Award are Ahmed Abdelaziz Al Abbadi, Mustafa Al Shurbaji, Waad Saber, Ahmed Shaaban, Ahmed Hussein Masoud, Ali Mahmoud Gad, Tariq Al Maghrabi, Islam Ahmed
Hamed, Ahmed Emad from Egypt, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Adel Al Haimi, Muthanna Bazris from Yemen, Mohamed Abdullah Mido from the UAE, Mustafa Turki, Mortada Emad from Iraq, Bashar Shaqila from Libya, Haitham Emad Nour El Din from Palestine, Nish Ari from Turkiye, Salem Sultan Al Hajri from the Sultanate of Oman, and Mohamed Nasr from Qatar.
The Tasweer Single Image Award invites submissions of a single photographic image that encapsulates the photographer's personal narrative and experience. Awardees will have their single images featured in an exclusive online exhibition and will receive a prize of QR 2,000 in addition to participating in Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar's vibrant online and public program.
The event featured a dialogue session as part of the photographic language series with Mashael Al Hijazi, a Qatari photographer and artist who discovered her passion for art and photography early in life.
Al Hijazi is known for her innovative approach and dedication to authenticity in the digital age. Her work reflects a deep connection with photography, drawing and color, as well as a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
During her residency at Fire Station: Artist in Residence from 2019 to 2020, Al Hijazi presented a solo exhibition titled "My Mother Lulwa's House" at Barahat Al Jufairi's majlis.
Her project "Tawtheeq" focuses on the people and architecture of old Doha, capturing the rapidly changing daily life in the city. She is using her research into alternative photographic processes as the basis of the project, employing 19th-century printing techniques such as Cyanotype and Gum Print.
Director of Tasweer Photo Festival Khalifa Ahmad Al Obaidly stated to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of the event that the festival has seen great development and a huge turnout from many countries, with the number of entries in the Project Award reaching 762, while the number of entries in the Single Image Award reaching 2387, thus making the task of the jury members more difficult, especially with great quality of the works submitted.
Winners in the Project Award reached 10 and in the Single Image Award there are 20 winners, all representing a diverse group of talents from the region, Al Obaidly said.
He revealed that the master class program for training photographers will be announced in October and November, as well as the submission date for the Tasweer Awards 2025.
Al Obaidly said that the award is witnessing gradual development, which heightens the enthusiasm of photographers locally, regionally and internationally.
He aims through the festival to showcase the creativity and passion of photographers, enhance their personal and professional growth, and continue to place the festival as one of the most important creative platforms in the region.
Al Hijazi told QNA that she focuses in her work on conveying the importance of family in society and the pivotal role of the father and mother.
She also explained that she makes a great deal of effort to document the old neighborhoods in Qatar.
Al Hijazi expressed her love for street photography and when she works on a specific project, she focuses on the message she wants to convey through the image.
She makes sure to have a smooth experience when taking photos by carrying lightweight professional cameras that allow control over lighting, aperture, and shutter speed.
Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar aims to celebrate and support the diverse talents of photographers in West Asia and North Africa and provide them with a platform that enables them to display their work and be exposed to a global audience.
By sponsoring both emerging talents and experienced photographers, the festival is gaining increasing popularity as a key platform for creativity in the region that encourages visual storytelling and artistic expression.
