Winners unveiled for the WIPO Photography Prize for Indigenous Youth 2024

Young photographers from Colombia, Ghana and Guatemala are the three winners of the 3rd edition of the WIPO Photography Prize.

Under the theme Indigenous Peoples’ Ways of Healing and Well-Being: Honoring Our Ancestors’ Wisdom and Knowledge, the WIPO Photography Prize 2024 invited youth from Indigenous Peoples to capture in images how they see the connection between their communities’ lifestyles, beliefs and cultures and their health and well-being.

A distinguished panel of independent judges composed of three experienced Indigenous photographers undertook the challenging task of selecting three winners and three honorable mentions among the 15 shortlisted photographs.

First Place: Ajpu Jakawitz Curruchiche Nicho, Guatemala

Ajpu is a Mayan Kaqchikel graphic designer and photographer from Guatemala. An active advocate for the representation and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples, his photographs focus on the preservation and celebration of Mayan identity and language, challenging stereotypes and promoting the rights of the Maya people.

Photography is another way of preserving the philosophy and ancestral knowledge of our communities since they resist time, make up the history and legacy of our cosmovision. Even teaching this beautiful art to the new generations contributes to our ancestral legacy.”

Ajpu Nicho

Ajpu’s winning photograph portraits a Mayan woman under the branches of a Tz’ite tree, which symbolizes the deep connection between the Maya people and nature. Tz’ite reminds Maya people about their ancestors’ wisdom and the importance of ones’ roots. “In the simplicity of this scene, harmony and respect for the natural environment, fundamental for healing and well-being in the Mayan cosmovision, is revealed. This sacred bond with the Earth, which transcends generations, sustains and guides Indigenous Peoples towards balance, health and spiritual healing”, - Ajpu explains.

Second Place: Maria Camila Yopasa Larrotta, Colombia

Maria Camila is a young Muysca Indigenous woman, a graphic designer, and a local youth counsellor for the Indigenous seat in the locality of Suba, Guatemala. A passioned communicator, Maria Camila promotes, makes visible and empowers the community members of the Muysca people, by creating various tools for learning the language, worldview and the preservation of the lands and sacred sites.

Today, photography is not only an art but a form of resilience. Through it, we give visibility to our Muysca people, who have been forgotten by many, but who are still present, alive and strong, transmitting through each image the spirit of our ancestors.

Maria Camila Yopasa Larotta

Maria Camila’s photograph captures the trasnocho, a sacred moment for the Muysca community that is marked during the Myscyan New Year celebrations (Zocam Cho) in Suba, Colombia. “We gather around Grandfather Fire in our sacred hut (cusmuy) to honor Father Sun. This is where we heal and come together as a people, where the community is immersed in songs, dance and offerings, but also seeks to heal the wounds we bear as an Indigenous People”, Maria Camila explains. On the photo, a Mysca leader (zaita), Utigua Yopasa, is tending to Grandfather Fire while others take medicine.

Third Place: Stanley Afful, Ghana

Stanley Afful – ‘Kwesi the Artist’ - is a Fante multi-disciplinary visual fine artist specializing in societies and cultures. He has BA in African Studies from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Stanley also acts as a mentor and trainer supporting youth in telling their stories to the world.

As a humanitarian artist, I serve as an embodiment of hope. As an advocate, I prioritize eradicating situations that threaten the well-being of humanity and encourage the appreciation of life. I am devoted to transforming fears into foundations and illuminating diversity throughout the world via photojournalism. Through my artistry, I explore, elevate, and evolve.

Stanley Afful

Stanley’s photograph depicts Edur Poon, a traditional Fante method for treating fever, malaria and other diseases. “In many Fante communities, even with the advent of contemporary medicine, the cultural transmission of Indigenous healing practices is deeply rooted in our socio-cultural practices.”, - Stanley shared.

Honorable mentions from the Jury

Alex Rufino, a Ticuna man from Colombia, reflects on the role of water in healing and medicine through his photograph titled “Meyaena: a daughter of medicine”. “Besides being a healing source for the body, water is also a wellspring of medicine: the female body and water are intrinsic to life itself, through the grass, trails, vines and hair belonging to the women who swim in their springs. All those elements are living things, as seen through the eyes of nature, including the birds, animals, plants and sounds”, Alex says.

 

Cole Baxter, a Noongar man from Australia, dedicated his photograph titled “Uncle Noel holds leaves” to the legacy of Noel Nannup, Australia’s first Aboriginal park ranger who spent 11 years mapping dreamtime trails and song lines across Noongar Country. Nannup’s preservation and sharing of cultural knowledge inspired many young people. The photograph also talks about the vital connection between trees, Indigenous Peoples and ancestors.

 

 

 

Nildielly dos Santos Silva, a young Kambeba woman from Brazil, captured an elder woman passes her knowledge to young girls. “…they are happy to be learning how to produce homemade remedies, which they will be able to use themselves and, in turn, pass on to their children, so that they don’t depend on industrial medicines. In fine physical and mental fettle, they play, dance and run around. Good health is the fuel of life. Without it, we can do nothing”, Nildielly says.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awards Ceremony at the WIPO Headquarters

The three winners were officially announced on December 2, 2024, during the Awards Ceremony hosted at the Headquarters of WIPO in Geneva, Switzerland. The event also featured a captivating photographic exhibit of the 15 shortlisted works.

If you would like to use any of the photographs, please contact WIPO’s Traditional Knowledge Division. We will be happy to connect you with the photographers so you can enter into a license agreement with them.

Ajpu, Maria Camila and Stanley extended their appreciation to WIPO, their families, and communities, acknowledging their invaluable support in achieving this accomplishment. During their visit to WIPO, they engaged with experts from the Copyright Law Division, the Traditional Knowledge Division and the WIPO Knowledge Center.

Photos on Flickr

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