Portraiture emerged as one of the most prominent genres of depictive media early in the history of the visual arts, and the tacit or explicit rules, conventions and cultural expectations have always influenced the ways by which artists approached the genre. Photography is no exception; numerous different and characteristic styles of portraiture emerged throughout the history of the medium. Today we live in an exciting new era for portraiture. There has never been a time in human history when so many portraits and self-portraits were produced day after day as in the era of digital technologies. Photographers have responded to the cultural, social and technological changes by reinterpreting the age-old genre of portraiture, and it is always an exciting and rewarding task to organize an exhibition for some of the recent achievements in the field.
PH21 Gallery invites photographers to submit their work for a group exhibition themed Personality: Contemporary Portraiture. We are looking for submissions from all photographers who are interested in this genre, and who would like to share their work with a wider international audience through the exposure of PH21 Gallery. The theme is broadly construed; from traditional fine art portraits to selfies, people may be portrayed in countless unique ways. Indeed, we are interested in all possible creative photographic interpretations of the theme.
Awards
One curator’s choice and up to three honourable mentions will be announced. The juror’s choice receives three free entries for any upcoming themed group exhibition calls at PH21 Gallery. (Each free entry includes up to 15 images).
Notification: All entrants will be notified 10-15 days after the final deadline.
Curators
Zsolt Bátori is a curator, photographer, photography theorist, philosopher of art, and educator. He is the founder director and curator of PH21 Gallery, providing group and solo exhibitions to photographers internationally for over a decade in PH21 Gallery, Budapest and in cooperation with galleries in Barcelona, Jersey City, and Rome. Zsolt has nurtured the careers of many photographers who received further exhibition and career opportunities after exhibiting at PH21 Gallery. He has taught and conducted research at universities in Hungary, the USA, Argentina, and Spain, and his own photographic work has been exhibited internationally. Currently, Zsolt serves as a member of the executive committee of the International Association for Aesthetics and the Association of Hungarian Photographers. He also serves as a juror for Photolucida Critical Mass for the years 2023 and 2024. For Zsolt’s website, please click here.
Borbála Jász is a curator, art historian, philosopher of art, and educator. She has served as the vice-director and curator of PH21 Gallery for many years, providing international exhibition and career opportunities for photographers worldwide. As an art historian, Borbála is especially perceptive to the cultural and historical context, significance, and interconnectedness of photographic images. She also has first-hand experience with the artistic, legal, and practical aspects of collections, having worked extensively with collectors.
