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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Portrait of Ali, 2014

by Hoda Afshar

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2015 Winner

Portrait of Ali, 2014

Soobatan Village, in northern Iran. It sits in a mountain range so high, it exists above the clouds. They call it ‘the dream of Iran’. In this village, I was told, the cleverest kids are sent to city-schools to be taught; the rest are made to stay, and most become shepherds. Ali was one of them. It was a warm morning. As I was walking, I saw him approaching through the mist that permanently clings to the road. He looked at me and my camera enquiringly. He said very little – mostly one word, over and over: alooche. It means ‘little berry’.

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2015
(More information, View all 44 photos)

Barry & Alkirra – The House in Carrington
Feather and the Goddess Pool
The Dame
Jezeril II

Related information

Kid A, 2014 by Joshua Morris
Kid A, 2014 by Joshua Morris
Kid A, 2014 by Joshua Morris
Kid A, 2014 by Joshua Morris

Swimming every day

Magazine article by Dr Christopher Chapman, 2015

National Photographic Portrait Prize judge Christopher Chapman connects this year’s entries to iconic contemporary american photographers.
Portrait of Ali, 2014 by Hoda Afshar
Portrait of Ali, 2014 by Hoda Afshar
Portrait of Ali, 2014 by Hoda Afshar
Portrait of Ali, 2014 by Hoda Afshar

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2015

Previous exhibition, 2015

The National Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition is selected from a national field of entries, reflecting the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects.
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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