2021 has been a year of ups and downs, of high hopes for better days to the utmost pessimism about the future. In short, a very suitable terrain for creativity.
“A Strange Familiarity” suggests the phenomenon of experiencing situations that one recognizes in some fashion, but that nonetheless seem novel and unfamiliar, just as the current times that we are all in.
This competition invited Macau-based photographers to submit some of their best photos taken since the beginning of the year, to be considered by a jury of experts and to be in the running to win great cash prizes.
Entrants were challenged to present an image of the city that symbolized or reflected the subject given, as they viewed it. The competition was open to both professional and amateur photographers.
Photos were submitted under two competition categories: Individual photos and Series.
The competition jury selected a short list of photographs for consideration and later chose their top three entrants. The public were also invited to vote for their favourite photos online in the People's Choice competition.
Congratulations to all the participants and of course the winners of the competition. Edite Ribeiro won first prize of MOP10,000 for his photograph Blinded By The Light, a unanimous decision by the jury, and also second prize in the People's Choice.
Lei Heong Ieong’s Losing the Colour of Life won first prize in the Series Category, also being awarded MOP10,000.
Rahmat Gouse’s Reflections was the most popular photo in the People’s Choice competition, winning MOP5,000. And Chan Weng Kin’s series The Forgotten Incense Industry was the top series in the People’s Choice, winning MOP3,000.
The winning photographs will be exhibited at the Portuguese Bookshop during the Macau Literary Festival in December.
1st PRIZE Juror's Choice – Individual
2nd PRIZE People's Choice – Individual
Edite Ribeiro
Blinded By The Light
Oct 2021
Blinded by the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. This never ending tunnel shines a light from the end and we chase it in the hopes to crawl out of it, not expecting life to be different, or to be "normal", but to be able to see and go past this tunnel we've been stuck in for a while. Macau lives under a protective lens filter, no scratches to the surface, no dust, no fingerprints but with long lasting effects on its [all] people. The end seems to be an ever changing mirage, turning each day that passes into something more of a nightmare – where the more you run towards the end the more it gets further away – and resuming normal life feels further away than ever. Whenwill we reach the end of this tunnel, Macau? We're blinded by the light…
2nd PRIZE Juror's Choice – Individual
Kingsley Leung
Pandemic
Oct 2021
3rd PRIZ E Juror's Choice – Individual
Mok Ka Kei
Silent Space
Mar 2021
What a luxury free air is in the present environment! A different feeling in the same space!
1nd PRIZE People's Choice – Individual
Rahmat Gouse
Reflections
Feb 2021
Capturing the reflection of Galaxy amidst the still water full of dried stems. No matter how chaotic the present might seem, there is some calmness and stillness in the given situation. We just need to change out perspective at times!
3nd PRIZE People's Choice – Individual
Mary Jane Ordanza
Escape from the Past
Oct 2021
Casino Macau Palace (Floating Casino)
Location: Avenida de Amizade,
Outer Harbour,Macau China
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1st PRIZE Juror's Choice – Series
LEI HEONG IEONG
Losing the Colour of life
Feb-Jul, 2021
2nd PRIZE Juror's Choice – Series
2nd PRIZE people's choice, Series
Splendid Saber
Overview of Macau
2021
3rd PRIZE Juror's Choice – Series
3rd PRIZE people's choice, Series
Jonathon M Ollero
Fashion Trend
2021
1st PRIZE people's choice, Series
Chan Weng Kin
The Forgotten Incense Industry
May, 2021
The traditional Chinese rituals of incense have been decimated by reform and opening up, and the industry is now in its twilight. A farewell to the splendour of this increasingly progressive town, where only a little light remains.
