London judges
Rakesh Mohindra, co-founder of pic.london.
Rakesh is a visual artist who lives and works in London. In his practice he uses photography, video, sound and performance to explore themes of transition and identity. His research interests centre around the disruption of the viewer’s relationship with the photographic image. Exhibitions to date include The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery and Precious at the Royal Photographic Society.
He lectures in Photography at the University of Westminster and also provides one-to-one tuition in Photography or Moving Image. Rakesh is co-founder of pic.london and a co-founder of the artist's group Image Assembly.
Renée Mussai, Senior Curator and Head of Curatorial, Archive and Research, Autograph Gallery.
Over the past 10 years, Renée has overseen Autograph’s artistic programmes while developing their permanent collection of photography, and organised numerous exhibitions in Europe, Africa and the US. She lectures internationally on photography, curatorial activism and cultural politics, and has been a regular guest curator and non-resident fellow at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University since 2009. She is currently a Research Associate in the Visual Identities in Art and Design Research Centre, University of Johannesburg; and PhD candidate in Art History at University College London.
Germaine Walker, Director, Agent and Producer.
Over 20 years ago, and after several years of shooting and studying photography, Germaine started her own photographic agency, utilising her experience and deep knowledge of photography, production and the media world. Germaine Walker photographic agency nurtures and supports young and established image makers alike, with their artistic and commercial careers. They represent a number of talented and award winning image makers, and take great pride and satisfaction in the work produced while striving to achieve the most innovative and creative images whether they are for personal or commercial use. The agency works with stills and digital content and very often with a combination of both. Their artists regularly exhibit work at prestigious galleries in the UK, Europe and the USA, and commercial clients include magazines, direct clients, advertising and design agencies here in the UK and around the globe.
Overseas judges
Bryan Angelo Lim, Director, Singapore / qu’est-ce que c’est design.
Bryan is the founder and design director of Qu’est-ce Que C’est Design, a graphic design studio based in Singapore. He received his bachelor’s degree in Fine Art (Visual Communications) from Nanyang Technological University, and his Master's degree in History of Art and archaeology from SOAS University of London.
Since 2014, he also lectures part time at Singapore Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic. His creative pursuit is tied closely with his interest in pre-modern South and Southeast Asian cultures, particularly the symbols and meaning expressed in through their material culture.
Farah Mahbub, Photographer and professor of the Photography Program of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Pakistan.
Since 1988, Farah has been exhibiting as a photographer in Pakistan and internationally. Over the years, her art has garnered equal praise and critique, as her local art industry has moved towards accepting photography as a fine art medium, and abandoning notions of analogue purism. Farah has exhibited internationally in both group and solo exhibitions and has been heading the Photography Program of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture since 1997. Farah will be involved in the overall judging as well as solely awarding the ‘The Madiha Aijaz prize for a young photographer of promise’ in memory of her colleague and friend.