People 1st place winner

This series of photos follows a Japanese Boy, Akkun living in Singapore. I had met Akkun and his Mother by chance. We hit off immediately. I am drawn by the fact that Akkun is not camera shy and has both an dramatic and yet authentic expression.
Akkun, his Mother and I met through following Art in the city. As such many of the photos show an interaction with Art.

This set of photos is my personal version of “The Little Prince” captured through my lens. This is an on-going project. We see Akkun discovering his passion and talent befitting of a Little Comedian. He takes pleasure in making people laugh; and he is rather good at it too. One wonders if it is his dream or that of his Mother. But it doesn’t really matter does it? What matters most is to cherish each moment and to be happy. We also get a behind-the-scene glimpse that "Nothing Comes Easy in Life" and that "Everything is Possible when We are Loved".

Kantaya New is a Thai–Singaporean photo artist based in Singapore, working across street and conceptual photography.

Her street photographs are a reflex response to modern life — where everything feels over-optimized, she seeks out the random moments where that order breaks down. She finds joy in uncovering "unpolished diamonds" buried in the everyday: odd visual coincidences, unexpected timing, chance encounters. Playfulness and humour draw viewers in first; the deeper reflection comes after. Her aim: to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.

Her conceptual practice uses staged scenes to explore what words cannot easily say — modern relationships in A Modern Day Affair, the childlike wonder within all of us in The Little Prince, and questions of identity in Dare to be You.

Across both practices, she treats photography as slow living — a way of slowing down to notice what is already there.
Having lived in Bangkok, Tokyo, and Singapore, she brings a perspective shaped by all three cities. Her work has been exhibited across Asia, Europe, and North America, and she served as a jury member for the Sony Alpha MX Street Photo Contest 2026.

Selected Awards
— Leica Street Photo Contest — Finalist (2026)
— 7th Annual