11/08/2022
Artists from 139 countries submitted 11,165 artworks with this year’s theme - “Breakthrough.” This amount is five times more entries than the competition received in its initial year in 2020. “Breakthrough” is a natural evolution from last year’s theme, “New adventure.” As the world seeks full recovery from the pandemic, “Breakthrough” represents overcoming an obstacle and permission for further progress. Two times more submissions and three times more countries participating in the contest. The result itself is a great embodiment of a breakthrough.
For a full list of winning artworks, please visit the online gallery.
Photography
1st Place
No.3 by Alireza Bagheri Sani, Iran
The older adult symbolizes long life, and the yellow color in number 3 represents hope. Minimalism, surrealism, and street photography are all wrapped up into one seemingly simple image at first glance. However, the changing size of the doors, the central positioning of the subject, and the pop of yellow ensure the image doesn’t become flattened. Creativity doesn’t always have to be loud.
2nd Place
Unfazed by Callie Chee Yuen Mun, Iran
The photographer ventured into Kyrgyzstan in search of eagle hunters skilled in their hunts and horsemanship. He wanted a never-done-before shot, a breakthrough perspective of the horsemen and eagle that is able to demonstrate the speed and control of the rider-animal dynamics. He lay flat on the ground (with no protection) and waited for the horses to gallop and jump very close and over him.
3rd Place
The Priest by Andrea Peruzzi, Italy
Illuminated by the sun's golden light, the elderly priest stops on the narrow and dangerous path that, overlooking the valley and along the rocky wall of the mountain, leads to the 12th-century rock church, of which he has been the guardian for 60 years. This Orthodox church, carved into the rock atop a mountain in northern Ethiopia, houses frescoes of biblical stories and ancient relics handed down to the present day.
4th Place
Flair by Rhon Paolo C. Velarde, Philippines
Marco is a Paralympic athlete competing for his province to join for the International Olympics representing the Philippines. The photo captures the positivity of a person in the face of adversity and the pursuit of his dreams, a breakthrough that inspires us all.
5th Place
Two worlds by Viktor Lyagushkin, Georgia
The diver dives into the freezing waters of the White Sea through the ice hole onto the top of the Beluga Whale Rock covered with tousle of laminaria seaweed. The support person holds a rope in her hands to help the diver to find her way home. We live on dry land, which is just one-third of our planet; two-thirds of the surface is covered with water. I hope humans will not only explore but find a sustainable way to live in harmony with the environment and nature. 6th Place
Above the clouds by Marleen Kuijpers, Netherlands
Last year, I took this photo in Grindelwald, located in the Swiss Alps. The drone hovers above me and what I see on my screen sums up the whole moment. A breakthrough moment because everything can change in one day. A breakthrough moment because you suddenly feel so free and small, standing there above the clouds and on top of the world. Every time I look at this photo, that feeling comes back—one of the happiest moments of my life.
7th Place
Well Of Death by Siddharth kaneria, India
The “Well Of Death” is a junction of life and death & breakthroughs are inevitable in the space between those two phenomena. This photograph is of Daredevil Stuntmen at a “Well Of Death'' performing in their car. Hundreds of spectators are always found crowding around a circular pit to witness daredevil drivers in cars & motorcycles performing stunts in a vertical pit.
The human capacity to evolve and survive in the name of an adrenaline rush was just a fraction of what my camera and I witnessed as we captured this moment. A daredevil stuntman is collecting his livelihood perched on a moving car as he flirts with the idea of gravity being faithful.
8th Place
Take Me with You by Craig Boliver, United States of America
This last year, I’ve tried to hone in on this style of launch photography. This specific shot feels great to showcase the NASA Crew4 launch over Indialantic Beach. SpaceX Crew Dragon w/ a Falcon9 booster at 3:52 am, capturing a full 5:00 minute exposure time. The composition has been sitting in my head for quite a while but had been waiting for everything to line up correctly.
9th Place
Free to Love by Rita Miranda, Portugal
The struggle for LGBT rights is old and far from over. People continue to die for simply having a different sexual orientation from the norm imposed by society or for identifying with another gender. These LGBT pride marches need to keep happening so that these people are not afraid to express their love freely.
10th Place
Abyss by Dominic Beaven, United Kingdom
Remote photography changed this and has been a massive 'breakthrough' in the world of portrait and studio photography. My shot 'Abyss' was taken during the lockdown period. It was shot at a venue called Tankspace, a 'breakthrough' in underwater photography. I had complete control of both camera and lighting settings via screen sharing and could communicate with the model via video conference.
Digital Art
1st Place
I Am the Pacific by Jairo Dealba, United States of America
A breakthrough is something that takes work to talk about with you. At the age of sixteen, I discovered that love was the answer. I saw that kindness invites us to see things. Gradually I began to be kind to myself, and it is still the force that guides me today. So, now it unfolds in front of me. I know that this is what expression is about; this is how truth blossoms. Long before my breakthrough, I saw it. It was distant, but I knew somehow that I would reach forth and grasp it. I knew this because of my grandmother and now my wife. She showed me that I was worthy of being loved, that I was worthy of being a true friend.
2nd Place
Submerged by the Future by Varun Mehra, India
According to a BBC article, the city of Venice could be submerged by 2100 due to rising sea levels. Then there are numerous articles by DesignBoom that examine the rise in water levels and how it may affect major cities such as Mumbai, New York, Tokyo, and Istanbul, among others. As I was thinking about the rise in water levels all over our planet due to climate change and other effects, I began creating my artwork with the help of my tools, and the outputs worked perfectly according to the image I had in mind. This is how most of the major cities will be "Submerged by the Future" if we do not take control of the current situation.
3rd Place
Growing rice on planet B by Dwi Januartanto, Indonesia
In "Growing rice on planet B," I try to express the message sarcastically and ironically. It depicts imperfect human figures on other planets, the image of vast agriculture with a small number of humans. The number of people on earth will continue to increase, currently almost 8 billion, and is predicted to increase to 10 billion in 2050. We need to think about how best to meet the need of food, considering it is a basic human need. The latest innovation breakthroughs that can improve human life clearly need to be developed. Still, we must also be wise and balanced in utilizing this intelligence so that it does not become a disaster in the future.
