Micha Serraf (Zimbabwe) is the winner of WILPF’s Second International Photography Collaboration which invited photographers from around the world to respond to the theme ‘Men and Love in Times of War and Polarisation.” Photographers Matthieu Paley, Cem Genco, Mouneb Taim and Slava Novikov were also recognized for their exceptional submissions.

The winners were selected by an esteemed jury convened by award-winning National Geographic photographer and film-maker Pete Muller. The jury included Ismail Ferdous, award-winning photographer and faculty member at the International Center of Photography in New York, , jahi chikwendiu, award-winning staff photographer at the Washington Post, Gael Almeida, National Geographic’s Regional Lead for Latin America, Azu Nwagbogu, Founder and Director of African Artists’ Foundation and Sarah Leen, former Director of Photography at National Geographic Magazine and co-Founder of the Visual Thinking Collective.

The jury was particularly impressed by Serraf’s powerful visual language and the unique way that he grappled with the theme of the collaboration.

“We teach children to become men through humiliation, disaffection as well as physical, emotional and psychological abuse.” Serraf wrote in his project description which he attributes to Kneo Mokgopa, his friend and an artistic collaborator. “Yet we are capable of being in the employ of a feminist, abolitionist future that is driven by the demands of radical softness and radical love.”

Juror Azu Nwagbogu noted that Serraf’s work is a “thoughtfully staged photo essay that reveals intimacy between man and himself and other men without overt carnal connotations. The tones, mood, colours and settings align in various indoor and outdoor scenarios with stunning effects.”

Reflecting on Serraf’s images, organiser Pete Muller reflected, “Serraf’s photographs are aesthetically powerful and socially intriguing. Not only did he present an insightful meditation on the theme, he did so through a visual language that impressively weaves the realms of documentary inquiry and fine art.”

jahi chikwendiu, a jury member, said that “Micha Serraf’s work stood out for its bold but gentle approach to the idea of men and love…it kicked at the edges of portraiture as visual poetry.”

Runners Up

Matthieu Paley (France) and Cem Genco (Turkey) were the runners up for this collaboration.

Paley was recognised for his series of portraits of Sufi pilgrims in Pakistan where he walked on ancient trials with Sufi pilgrims who called themselves “warriors of love”.

In his accompanying project statement Paley wrote, “this series is an exploration of the yet unexplored crack in the male psyche, the shadow of the feminine. The attempt to look strong exposes something much deeper, a vulnerability, a beautiful strength. Looking more closely, the men soften, answering to an earlier stage of innocence, of unconditional love, when they once sat on the laps of their mothers.”

Cem Genco, won for a single image in a series showing a Syrian couple supporting each other in the wake of the wife losing her legs while living under bombardment in Syria. Cem Genco’s moving images show the tenderness and care between the couple. 

The couple, who are newly-weds, share a common trajectory.

“Nagan Elvan, a primary school teacher, lost both of her legs when the school she worked at was attacked by regime planes. She is pictured with Azim Elvan, her husband as he is taking care of her,” commented Cem Genco on his project.

The jury also gave honourable recognition to Syrian photographer Mouneb Taim for his portrait taken amidst ruins in Syria and to Russian-born Slava Novikov for his single image titled ‘Inseparable,’ a provocative, arresting portrait that grapples with “expressing love at times of conflict and hardship”.

Commenting on this, chikwendiu also said that “Mouneb Taim’s image craft-fully tells the story of a man playing music for the love of his people in times of war [while] Slava Novikov’s image provokes a range of sometimes conflicting thoughts/questions. Who is responsible for the binding and what would the relationship be if the binding did not exist? Just the beginning of a list of questions that call for this image to be honorably mentioned.”

Of the submissions at large, Juror Gael Almeida reflected, “How does a photographer see and document love and masculinity? It was not an easy task but the winning photographers did it incredibly. We find images that show us another face of masculinity, with different shapes, textures and colors, we look in a very intimate way to a vulnerability that in turn transmits a new strength.”

Sarah Leen, a jury member, said that “all of the chosen work, and many of the other worthy images, inspired us to see beyond surfaces and connected us with a more deep and thoughtful idea of how men can and do love.”

In its second year, WILPF’s collaboration received 90 submissions from 60 photographers who understood and expressed the theme in their own way. Submissions were made from several countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Europe, South America and Europe such as France, Portugal, Iran, Turkey, Nepal, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Bahrain, Syria, Colombia, Venezula, Bangladesh and many others.

“We are thrilled to have received so many thoughtful submissions on our theme of men and love in times of war and polarisation. The selected images will be exhibited around the world and are certain to generate important conversations about men’s capacity for love, care and compassion–and their frequent opposition to war and oppression,” said Dean Peacock, Director of WILPF’s initiative to Mobilise Men for Feminist Peace.

Each of the three winners will receive a financial contribution to their work and WILPF is working to secure exhibition opportunities across the world

Madeleine Rees, WILPF’S Secretary-General, said that WILPF wanted to use the photography collaboration, “to generate an alternative vision that inspires conversations about men’s capacity for love.”

By using creative tools, the programme seeks to dialogue and build a base that supports WILPF’s vision for feminist peace and this is especially needed as the programme touches upon social norms and challenges structural issues such as arms trade and land dispossession.

Last year, our photography collaboration was under the theme “militarised masculinities” and the winning images were exhibited at the Shaping Feminist Foreign Policy Conference in the Netherlands. This exhibition can be viewed on our website.

Note

In these times of wars and increasing polarisation, when men often play a pivotal role in conflict and violence, this year, we invited submissions on the theme of men and love. We let the photographers share their vision about who, where, how and what men can and do love.

Photographs selected by our jury will be exhibited online and in high visibility indoor and outdoor locations including potentially: the United Nations Headquarters in New York and Geneva, the European Union, the African Union, and in many of the countries in which the project is implemented in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.

The winners are:

• Overall winner: Micha Serraf
• First Runner-up: Matthieu Paley
• Second Runner-up: Cem Genco

Full quotes by the jury members

“Images of men bonding or demonstrating feeling are overwhelmingly represented by machismo. Rarely do we see vulnerability and genuine affection. Where this is seen it is often of the erotic nature. The artists and photographers have understood that there are layers of feeling that can be captured that show love and affection outside of the erotic or those confined to organised religion,”

Azu Nwagbogu

“I was repeatedly struck by the vision of sensitivity and tenderness shown in the imagery of the selected works. These stories and single images pushed firmly back against masculine stereotypes that promote the image of a rough and more brutal idea of manhood. The emotions displayed in the selected works ranged from tenderness for one’s self, for other men, for animals and the environment. All of these emotions are beautifully and inspiringly evident in the work of Micha Serraf and Matthieu Paley. Both of these projects are studies of men from very different cultures, done in very different visual styles, yet they both express a physical and spiritual beauty that invites us to reevaluate our biases and preconceptions. I was thrilled to see these works and have them elevated in this competition. The single images by Cem Genco and Mouneb Taim also show us kindness and hope first in the husband tenderly caring for his newly disabled bride and then of a man trying to make beauty amidst the devastation of war. The image by Slave Novikov, is a complex and layered portrait that asks as many questions as it gives answers about the ties that can bind a man and a woman that may also be constricting and limiting,”

Sarah Leen

“How does a photographer see and document love and masculinity? It was not an easy task but the winning photographers did it incredibly. We find images that show us another face of masculinity, with different shapes, textures and colors, we look in a very intimate way to a vulnerability that in turn transmits a new strength,”

Gael Almeida

“Of the work we saw, Micha Serraf’s work stood out for its bold but gentle approach to the idea of men and love. More than the others, for me, it kicked at the edges of portraiture as visual poetry. The work of Matthieu Paley stood out for the photographer’s mastery of the medium and for the visual surprises in showing men’s love for humanity and life, in general.
Cem Genco’s simply elegant image of the man assisting his injured wife is both heartbreaking and life affirming. Mouneb Taim’s image craftfully tells the story of a man playing music for the love of his people in times of war. Slava Novikov’s image provokes a range of sometimes conflicting thoughts/questions. Who is responsible for the binding and what would the relationship be if the binding did not exist? Just the beginning of a list of questions that call for this image to be honorably mentioned,”

jahi chikwendiu

“As a judge in the WILPF photo collaboration, I found myself deeply engaged for several compelling reasons. Firstly, the initiative was framed as a collaboration rather than a competition, which let a more expansive exploration of the theme. This approach allowed participants to select work that resonated more authentically with the theme, rather than merely striving for competitive edge. Although we ultimately ranked the entries.
The theme itself, “Men and Love in Times of War and Polarisation,” struck me as both profound and underexplored in contemporary discourse. It challenged participants to delve into a nuanced and coherent topic that is seldom addressed in our current era. This thematic choice was not only thought-provoking but also timely, inviting a deeper reflection on the complexities of our world.
Another aspect that enriched this experience was the diversity and dynamism of the judging panel. Our group was a blend of different cultures, languages, genders, and experiences, which brought an incredible value of perspectives to the table. During the judging process, I placed a high value on the integrity of the photographers. It was important to me that their work transcended mere expectation, allowing them to express their unique voices and engage with the theme in a way that was both comfortable and respectful. I sought authenticity and sensitivity in their visual language, steering clear of pretension or gimmickry.
The quality of the submissions was exceptional, presenting us judges with a delightful challenge. In the end, I believe we, as a collective of judges, reached a consensus on the chosen works through constructive debates and open discussions. This process was not just about selecting winners; it was a journey of discovery, understanding, and appreciation of the diverse ways in which photographers can capture and interpret the complexities of human experience under the theme.”

Ismail Ferdous

About the Judges