Taylor Wessing
Photo Portrait Prize 2023

Free for Members and Patrons

 

Past exhibition archive
9 November 2023 - 25 February 2024

Floor 2

£8.50 / £9.50 with donation

£5 tickets for all visitors aged 25 and under are available on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with further concessions available

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The Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize returns to the Gallery in St Martin’s Place after three years. Showcasing talented young photographers, gifted amateurs and established professionals, the competition celebrates a diverse range of images and tells the often fascinating stories behind the creation of the works. The selected images, many of which are on display for the first time, explore both traditional and contemporary approaches to the photographic portrait whilst capturing a range of characters, moods and locations. In addition to first, second and third prizes, the National Portrait Gallery has also launched a new £8,000 commission.

This year’s In Focus display will feature work by Moroccan-British artist Hassan Hajjaj.


Supported by

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Download our digital guide on Bloomberg Connects to unlock audio from the winning photographers, the In Focus Photographer Hassan Hajjaj, and curator Sabina Jaskot-Gill, to support your exhibition visit.

Download the large-print guide (PDF)

Prize winners

Congratulations to our prize winners for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2023, who were announced at our Awards Ceremony on 6 November 2023.

Learn more about the prize winners

A young woman, wearing a white headscarf, headphones and a frilly floral top
First Prize
Diena by Alexandre Silberman
From the series NATURE
A woman is hugging a boy. She is kissing him on the top of his head.
Second Prize
Kisha and LaDarayon by Gilleam Trapenberg
From the series Currents
A figure in dark clothes stands in front of beige curtains; the face is obscured by a cloud of vapour
Third Prize
Shaun Ryder by Jake Green
A young man is hanging upside down between two large standing men
Third Prize
Chotu Lal Upside-down by Carl Francois van der Linde
From the series Our Leader
A girl and a younger boy are looking sideways towards the camera. The girl is wearing a white top and her hair is tied up in a neat bun. The young boy is wearing a grey tshirt. He is smiling.
Taylor Wessing Photographic Commission
me nana fie by Serena Brown

Exhibitors

Explore works by all of the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2023 exhibiting photographers.

Explore the exhibitors

People’s Pick

The People's Pick competition and prize draw have now closed.

The 2023 People's Pick is Our Lady of Hope by Ana Paganini. In second place is Grandad Sups his Tea by Thomas Duffield. In third place is Roy and Josef with their daughter Jude by Rona Bar and Ofek Avshalom.

  • 1. The People’s Pick winner will be counted from entries made before Sunday 18 February 2024. All entries after this date will be valid for the prize draw (until close of exhibition Sunday 25 February 2024).

    2. Closing date for the competition is 25 February 2024. All entries will be entered into a prize draw and the winner will be drawn at random and notified by email by 10 March 2024. The winner must claim their prize by 1 March 2024 or it will be considered forfeited and another draw will take place.

    3. Entrants must be 18 or over.

    4. Entry is limited to one per person.

    5. Subject to availability.

    6. Entries made using automated competition entry systems or similar are not allowed.

    7. The winning entrant will be chosen at random by the National Portrait Gallery from all completed and valid entries received by the closing date. The decision is final and non-negotiable.

    8. The National Portrait Gallery reserves the right to substitute the prize with a prize of similar value at its own discretion.

    9. The National Portrait Gallery reserves the right to withdraw or amend the competition as necessary due to circumstances outside its control.

    10. By entering the competition, all entrants will be deemed to have accepted and agreed to be bound by these rules.

    11. Employees of the National Portrait Gallery and Searcys and their families, agents or anyone else connected with the competition are not permitted to enter.

    12. No cash alternative. Not transferable and non-refundable.

    13. The competition is run by the National Portrait Gallery Marketing Department.

    14. The Gallery is situated at St Martin's Place, London WC2H OHE, Tel: +44 (0) 207 7306 0055.

    15. The winner will receive a three-course meal for two people, consisting of a starter, main and dessert and a glass of wine each at The Portrait Restaurant. This amount cannot be used as a credit towards other drinks or menu items.

In Focus


2023’s In Focus Photographer is Hassan Hajjaj. Living and working between London and Marrakesh, Hajjaj’s vibrant portraits embrace diverse cultural influences – incorporating references to Western pop art and African studio portraiture, and mixing traditional Moroccan fabrics and motifs with contemporary streetwear and maximalist styling. His work resists stereotypes to fashion a unique representation of Hajjaj’s own experience of living between British and North African cultures.

Hajjaj’s work is held in the collections of some of the world’s most prestigious museums globally, including the V&A, Brooklyn Museum, Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, The Guggenheim in Abu Dhabi, and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. Hajjaj will exhibit a new series of never-before-seen works at the 2023 Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize exhibition.

A photo of a man wearing a black hat, sunglasses, blue and yellow striped trousers and black boots against a patterned pink and blue background; the border of the image is repeated images of food tins
Harris Stylin', framed photography by ©Hassan Hajjaj, 2016/1437 Courtesy of Harris Elliott, Vigo Gallery & the Artist

Catalogue

The cover of the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2023 catalogue


Fully illustrated in colour throughout, the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2023 catalogue includes interviews with all prize-winning photographers, alongside extended captions for each exhibited work and insights from the judges. This book provides a unique opportunity to see an inspiring range of portraits from contemporary photographers selected from thousands of submissions. An in-depth interview with this year’s celebrated In Focus Photographer, Hassan Hajjaj, showcases his vibrant, expressive portraits, which embrace diverse cultural influences and reflect on his life between Britain and Morocco.

Buy now

School and group visits

  • School groups of 10+ can book for £3 per student for Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2023. Advanced bookings only.

    Book a school group

  • Exhibition and Lecture: Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2023

    Weekdays, every hour on the hour, 11.00-16.00
    £29 per person

    Exclusively for your group, this lecture provides a comprehensive introduction to the exhibition, followed by the opportunity to spend as long as you wish in the exhibition itself. Discover more about contemporary photography and the international photographers featured in the exhibition, our annual, international photography competition. 

    The price per person includes lecture and exhibition ticket. Terms and conditions apply.

    Book a group tour

  • You can book up to ten people to visit the exhibition as a self-led group.

    Book a self-led group

    See our Group visits page for more information and guidelines on bringing a private tour group.

Membership

Members enjoy free access to our exhibitions, priority event booking, special Members' events, discounts in our shops, exclusive content and more. From just £5.50 per month.

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Sponsor

Taylor Wessing is a global law firm that serves the world’s most innovative people and businesses. Deeply embedded within our sectors, we work closely together with our clients to crack complex problems, enabling ideas and aspirations to thrive. Creative thinking is at the heart of our culture and we see art as an important instrument of challenge and change. Together with our people and community partners, we seek to challenge expectation and create extraordinary results.

This year's Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize features an exceptional shortlist of talented artists. We take pride in supporting the Prize, which continues to grow in international prestige and attract a growing number of artists. We look forward to seeing the Prize return to the refurbished National Portrait Gallery. We are also excited to support a new commission which will see one of the photographers featured in the exhibition selected to create a work for the Gallery's permanent collection.
Shane Gleghorn, Managing Partner at Taylor Wessing

Competition entries

The call for entries is closed.

  • Full competition rules can be found in the link to the document below. Please contact us if you need the rules in an alternative format on [email protected].

    Prize rules (PDF)

  • For all further enquiries please contact:
    Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2023
    National Portrait Gallery
    St Martin’s Place
    London WC2H 0HE
    [email protected]

    Office hours are 9.00 – 17.00, Monday – Friday.