12 Women Photographers to Watch in 2019

Renewing our interest in discovering and promoting more stories narrated from a female perspective, we asked a selected group of 12 experts from the six continents to name a female artist from their region they recommend us to follow in 2019.

Renewing our interest in discovering and promoting more stories narrated from a female perspective, we asked a selected group of 12 experts from the six continents to name a female artist from their region they recommend us to follow in 2019.

1. Sharon Castellanos (Perù) nominated by Verónica Sanchis Bencomo (Venezuela, Founder of Foto-Feminas).

"Sharon's work is sublime and surreal at times. Her capacity to capture the most poetic moments often makes you forget that all of them have been documented in this era. Her images are charged with the Latin American magical realism that many writers have described."

Follow Sharon on PHmuseum and Instagram.

2. Hoda Afshar (Iran) nominated by Madé Spencer-Castle (Australia, Curator at CCP).

"Hoda is a rigorously fierce, politically engaged artist making work that is simultaneously exquisite and confronting. I can't vouch more highly of her!"

Follow Hoda on PHmuseum and Instagram.

3. Miki Hasegawa (Japan) nominated by Yumi Goto (Japan, Curator at Reminders Photography Stronghold).

"One of the challenges given to a photographer to tackle is to visualise what is hard to see. Miki is one of the few photographers I know who can make the tears shed from the heart visible."

Follow Miki on PHmuseum and Instagram.

4. Kiana Hayeri (Iran/Canada) nominated by MaryAnn Camilleri (Canada, Founder of The Magenta Foundation).

"Kiana is an exceptional photographer and human being. Her work is politically engaging, sensitive and all-encompassing. I am so glad more people will be made aware of her talent."

Follow Kiana on PHmuseum and Instagram.

5. Sinead Kennedy (Australia) nominated by Raphaela Rosella (Australia, Photographer).

"Concerned with the politics of migration and asylum in an Australian context, Sinead is on the verge of making some of Australia's most interesting and challenging work as she pushes boundaries within the practice of expanded documentary."

Follow Sinead on PHmuseum and Instagram.

6. Sofia Lopez Mañan (Argentina) nominated by Nicolas Janowski (Argentina, Visual Artist and Curator)

"There is a power that arises in Sofía's images that is neither comfortable or easy to understand. At first sight, her images seduce us, because she is an author with the gift of beauty. However, once you enter her world, you can perceive it as the result of her internal pursuit where there are no concessions; no theoretical explanations nor aesthetic mannerisms."

Follow Sofia on PHmuseum and Instagram.

7. Chelsea Mosher (USA) nominated by Ron Jude (USA, Photographer).

"Chelsea's work is embedded in a traditional, analytical approach to the medium, while quietly introducing an experimental, conceptual slant to her program. Through her careful and intriguing choice of subjects, mixed with intricate contextual relationships and experimental techniques, she has created a body of work that is as surprising and fresh as it is traditional. I highly regard her work and see her on a trajectory of contributing a meaningful impact on the medium of photography."

Follow Chelsea on her website and Instagram.

8. Adéolá Olágúnjú (Nigeria) nominated by Adama Delphine Fawundu (Sierra Leone/USA, Visual Artist and Co-founder of MFON).

"Adéolá is a vibrant creative spirit who is socially aware and constantly pushing boundaries. This is evident in the powerful and thought provoking photographs that she makes. I strongly recommend her for this awesome initiative."

Follow Adéolá on her website and Instagram.

9. Ashfika Rahman (Bangladesh) nominated by Sarker Protick (Bangladesh, Photographer and Curator).

"Ashfika's confronting and delicate portraits address sensitive issues regarding the state of violence against its own people. To do such work not only involves risks but a sense of responsibility and an ability to tackle such stories of traumas which not all photographers can commit to."

Follow Ashfika on PHmuseum and Instagram.

10. Alys Tomlinson (UK) nominated by Fiona Rogers, (UK, Chief Operating Officer at Magnum Photos and Founder of Firecracker).

"Tomlinson had a great year in 2018, taking home the Sony World Photographer of the Year prize just months after a Taylor Wessing Portrait award nomination. Her award-winning project Ex-Voto will be published in March by Gost alongside an exhibition at HackelBury."

Follow Alys on PHmuseum and Instagram.

11. Karolina Wojtas (Poland) nominated by Rafal Milach (Poland, Visual Artist and Photographer).

"A vibrant, creative young author experimenting with photography, drawing and spacial objects. She touches upon adolescence, childhood and coming out of age topics."

Follow Karolina on PHmuseum and Instagram.

12. Amina Zoubir (Algeria) nominated by Azu Nwagbogu (Nigeria, Founder and Director of the LagosPhoto Festival).

"Amina is an image-maker who works without boundaries by adopting a multidisciplinary approach - collage, photography, moving image and texts in creating work that tells stories of parts of the world that are often misunderstood. Her politically engaged work never feels voyeuristic but rather closely engaged with her subjects. I am very happy to nominate an artist of this calibre as one to watch in 2019."

Follow Amina on PHmuseum.

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This article is part of the work we started two years ago to support female and non-binary photographers and reignite the debate on gender equality in our industry. Our dedicated initiatives include an annual Grant and several collaborations such as our online exhibition On Womanhood.

© Sharon Castellanos, from her project Borders, 2017.
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© Sharon Castellanos, from her project Borders, 2017.

© Hoda Afshar, from her project Eve's Kin, 2018.
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© Hoda Afshar, from her project Eve's Kin, 2018.

© Miki Hasegawa, from her project Internal Notebook, 2017.
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© Miki Hasegawa, from her project Internal Notebook, 2017.

© Kiana Hayeri, from her project Silent Death, 2018.
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© Kiana Hayeri, from her project Silent Death, 2018.

© Sinead Kennedy, from her project To Set Fire to the Sea, 2016.
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© Sinead Kennedy, from her project To Set Fire to the Sea, 2016.

© Sofia Lopez Mañan, from her project Impermanente, 2014.
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© Sofia Lopez Mañan, from her project Impermanente, 2014.

© Chelsea Mosher, from her project A Slip & In-Between, 2019.
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© Chelsea Mosher, from her project A Slip & In-Between, 2019.

© Adéolá Olágúnjú, from her project Home Is, 2017.
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© Adéolá Olágúnjú, from her project Home Is, 2017.

@ Ashfika Rahman, from her project File of The Disappeared, 2018.
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@ Ashfika Rahman, from her project File of The Disappeared, 2018.

© Alys Tomlinson, from her project Ex-Voto, 2018.
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© Alys Tomlinson, from her project Ex-Voto, 2018.

© Karolina Wojtas, from her project Train to Knowledge, 2018.
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© Karolina Wojtas, from her project Train to Knowledge, 2018.

© Amina Zoubir, from her project Take the bus and look, 2006.
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© Amina Zoubir, from her project Take the bus and look, 2006.

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