Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Prize Winners and Partners. Pictured L-R: Adam Griffiths, Taylor Wessing, Salem Anowe Chukwuezi, Judges Selection, Trish Lambe, Photo Museum Ireland, Conor Horgan, Prize Winner, Patryk Gizicki, Bursary Winner, Louise O'Reilly, Business to Arts, & Laura Dunwoody, Judges Selection. Photo: Leon Butler
We're proud to share the winners of the inaugural Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Prize & Bursary, marking a significant milestone for contemporary photography in Ireland.
Selected from a nationwide open call that received over 1,300 entries, the winning artists present diverse and powerful responses to the 2026 theme, "Community - Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine" It is in each other’s shadow that we live.
Spanning documentary, portraiture, conceptual and experimental practice, the works reflect the vitality of photography in Ireland today, offering nuanced perspectives on belonging, identity, and collective experience. The exhibition of 34 shortlisted artists' works is free to all and runs from April 22 to May 24 at Photo Museum Ireland.
Conor Horgan has been awarded the top prize of €10,000 for his work from the series EDGE.
Addressing the emergence of barriers along Dublin’s Grand Canal and nearby areas in an attempt to deter homeless people seeking asylum from sleeping there, Horgan’s image focuses not on individuals, but on the structures themselves. It invites viewers to consider the experiences of these men who after they arrived, were met with the opposite of what they most needed – protection.
“ This work is a personal response that bears witness to people seeking asylum being forced into homelessness by State policy. I was driven by a strong sense of injustice and a need to bring this situation to wider attention. While it shows attempts to exclude people from the national community, it also reveals smaller communities of mutual support, both within the camps and among those who came forward to help. I hope it encourages a greater sense of welcome, protection and dignity for those most in need.”
Two Judges’ Selection Awards of €2,500 each were presented to Laura Dunwoody and Salem Anowe Chukwuezi, recognising two distinct and powerful perspectives on contemporary Ireland
Chukwuezi’s series Covert reflects the experience of growing up Black in rural Ireland today, where exclusion can be subtle, unspoken, and easy to deny. Her photographs reflect that tension, making visible something that often goes unacknowledged.
Laura Dunwoody’s series Nothing Lasts Forever centres on young people coming of age in Ballymun, a community often defined by unemployment, addiction and social issues. Dunwoody’s photographs offer a quieter, more personal perspective, shaped through her long-term engagement and collaboration with the local community.
Alongside the main Prize awards, the Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Bursary of €10,000 was awarded to Patryk Gizicki. The bursary recognises an emerging artist whose practice shows exceptional promise.
Gizicki’s work explores youth culture and evolving ideas of identity and masculinity, offering a nuanced and personal perspective shaped by his Polish heritage and Irish upbringing.
“ Stay Forever More explores youth, identity and the emotional landscape of growing up in a small town, rooted in my own experiences. It reflects a community that is both close-knit and complex, where belonging and isolation can exist at the same time. Being part of the Prize is an important moment of validation, giving the work a wider platform and allowing these stories to reach beyond their original context”
Presented in partnership with Taylor Wessing, Photo Museum Ireland and Business to Arts, the Prize establishes a major new national platform for photography, offering unprecedented visibility and support for artists at all stages of their careers. As the largest combined prize fund for contemporary photography in Ireland, the initiative marks a significant investment in the country’s cultural life.
The exhibition, which opens to the public on 22 April and runs until 24 May 2026 at Photo Museum Ireland, is accompanied by a dynamic public programme of talks, tours and events, alongside national media coverage celebrating Irish photography at a pivotal moment in the country’s cultural life.
The 34 shortlisted artists featuring in the exhibition are: Chad Alexander, Salem Anowe Chukwuezi, Philip Arneill, Niamh Barry, Lisa Bennett, Deirdre Brennan, Missy Brinkmeyer, Michael Cassidy, Ishmael Claxton, Polina Cosgrave, Shane Coughlan, Michael Croghan, Evanna Devine, Laura Dunwoody, Cat Gundry-Beck, Caroline Guinan, Conor Horgan, Shane Hynan, JP Keating, Joe Laverty, Xuying Li, Jeanette Lowe, James Mahon, Jillian McGrath, Yvette Monahan, Emma O’Brien, Clodagh O’Leary, Mandy O’Neill, Keelin O’Shea, Chris Reid, Emily Roche, Blaise Smith, Laura Smith.
We are proud to have initiated and facilitated this major new Prize for the development of contemporary photography in Ireland. It reflects the kind of purposeful partnership we aim to foster — where business and the arts come together to inspire, challenge, and shape the world around us. This investment by Taylor Wessing signals a strong commitment to Ireland’s creative talent and the vital role of the arts within our cultural and economic landscape.
