Open Theme nominee

Some time ago, while visiting my hometown in Poland, I went to a Jewish cemetery. There is a mass grave of 200 Jews murdered by the Nazi criminals during World War II...

Suddenly, something extraordinary happened. Sunlight filtering through the treetops began to draw human faces on one of the graves... I fell into thought...We all know Dostoyevsky's statement that if God doesn't exist, then everything is permitted. The modern version, popularized by Lacan and Žižek, holds that if God doesn't exist, then everything is forbidden... I looked at the faces reflected in the graves and thought: if God truly doesn't exist, is there a greater cruelty than depriving another human being of life; that is... everything?
The geopolitical storm characterizing our times gives this question universal appeal.

PIOTR NALEWAJKA, born in Poland, settled in Limerick (Ireland).

Photographer (professional member of Visual Artists Ireland since 2019) and Philosopher (PhD) exploring human condition mainly through abstract and documentary photography although remaining open in all photographic directions. His photographs were exhibited in several groups and solo exhibitions in Ireland, the U.K, France and Italy.

"Basically, the goal of my photography is to be anti-ideological, to show visual examples of epistemological pluralism of photography. Therefore, this type of art and documentary practice can be treated simply as an exercise in empathy".

Awards:

- MonoVisions Photography Award
2021 Honorable Mention: Abstract, "Where are people?
2022 Honorable Mention: Travel, "The wonderful lightness of being" 2022 Honorable Mention: Abstract, " In search of geometry"
2023 Honorable Mention: Photojournalism, "Hotel Uzbekistan"
2023 Honorable Mention: Street Photography, "One day you may"
2024 Honorable Mention: Abstract, "Vertigo"
2024 Honorable Mention: People, "No pain no game"
2024 Honorable Mention: Architecture, "What remains?"

- PISPA 2023
Honorable Mention:Concept, "Francisco Goya"

- Black And White Photo Awards 2024
Bronze Medal in the category: Macro Art Photography,"Conformity"

- ND Awards
2024 Honorable Mention: Professional Special Open Theme, "The Birth of Artificial Intelligence"
2024 2nd place Silver Star Award: People,"Geometry of Loneliness"