Jury 2026

Zeng Yi

r.bahramlouian — Wed, 13 May 2026 11:33:48 +0000

Zeng Yi

r.bahramlouian Wed, 13/05/2026 - 13:33

Photographer, China

Zeng Yi is a distinguished Chinese photographer, curator, and social activist with more than 50 years of experience in photography and international cultural exchange. A National Second-Class Professor and recipient of the Chinese State Council’s Special Government Allowance, he has received numerous prestigious distinctions, including the China Golden Award for Photography and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique (FIAP). His work has been widely exhibited internationally and collected by major institutions, including the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum and the Ashmolean Museum. Beyond his artistic achievements, he has played a significant role in promoting intercultural dialogue and international cooperation through photography and major cultural initiatives.

GMB Akash

r.bahramlouian — Wed, 13 May 2026 09:59:14 +0000

GMB Akash

r.bahramlouian Wed, 13/05/2026 - 11:59

Photographer, Bangladesh

GMB Akash is an internationally acclaimed Bangladeshi photographer known for his compassionate work documenting the lives of marginalized and vulnerable communities around the world. Through powerful and deeply human imagery, he highlights dignity, resilience, and social injustice, using photography as a tool for awareness and change. His work has been featured in over 100 major publications, including Vogue, Time, and The Guardian, and exhibited globally. Winner of more than 100 international awards, he became the first Bangladeshi selected for the prestigious Joop Swart Masterclass of the World Press Photo in 2002 and later won a World Press Photo award in 2006. He is also the author of FIRST LIGHT and Survivors, founder of the GMB Akash Institute of Photography in Bangladesh, and a frequent international speaker and jury member for major photography competitions, including the UNESCO Silk Roads Photography Contest.

Official Instagram account: @gmbakash

Claire Thomas

r.bahramlouian — Tue, 12 May 2026 12:02:46 +0000

Claire Thomas

r.bahramlouian Tue, 12/05/2026 - 14:02

Photojournalist, United Kingdom

Claire Thomas is an award-winning Welsh photojournalist and fine art photographer based between the UK and Egypt, whose work explores culture, identity, and human stories shaped by conflict, displacement, and environmental change. She has reported extensively across the Middle East, including from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Jordan, and Lebanon, with her work featured in major international outlets such as National Geographic, The New York Times, and the BBC. A recipient of the 2025 Pulitzer Center Reporting Grant and the 2023 Amnesty International Media Award for Outstanding Impact, she is also the author of ALTAI: Hunters and Herders of Mongolia (2026), a long-term project documenting Kazakh eagle hunters and herding communities in western Mongolia.

Official Instagram account: @claire_thomas_photography