The British Journal of Photography in collaboration with WePresent and

Galerie Huit Arles present the winners of the fifth edition of OpenWalls .

British Journal of Photography, in partnership with WePresent and Galerie Huit Arles, is proud to announce the winners of OpenWalls Spotlight 2025.

Now in its fifth edition, OpenWalls is an international photography award designed to elevate the work of emerging and established photographers by exhibiting it in the historic setting of Galerie Huit Arles, alongside Les Rencontres d’Arles – one of the world’s leading photography festivals.

This year’s theme, Traditions in Transition, invited photographers to reflect on how cultural rituals, identities and heritage shift across time, space and generations. From reinterpretations of mythology to contemporary expressions of family, belief and belonging, the selected works explore how tradition is carried, adapted and reimagined.

The 2025 winners include one outstanding series and four single images, which will be exhibited at Galerie Huit Arles from 7 July 2025.

Series Category Winners

The Kitchen God Series
Anh Nguyen

In Vietnamese popular mythology, every family is said to have three kitchen gods in their house. Their altars are placed by the stove to watch over the family, ensuring they treat each other well and that all matters of the home are in order. Growing up in Vietnam but having lived away from home and family for a decade, I began unpacking traditions and rituals I grew up with as performance to find ways to interpret them in my own life. Fifty years after the beginning of large-scale migration from Vietnam to the United States, the immigrant experience of Vietnamese people of my generation is reshaping the narrative around our identity in America. By deciding what aspects of our culture to preserve and make our own, we serve as a living connection between cultures. The Kitchen God Series uses the imaginative landscape of Vietnamese myths to explore the meaning of home-making to young Vietnamese people in New York City. What would a kitchen god see if they could look into our lives?

Single images Winners

About to Leave
Timon Benson

This photograph is called About to Leave (2023) It was made as a reflection of my father arriving in the UK in 1990. Arriving he proudly wore my Grandfather's suit, a privilege granted to the first generation of our family to leave Africa. 34 years later, he wears my grandfather's tie, days after making the decision to return back to a happier life at home.

The photograph is from a long-form photographic project documenting our special father-son bond. Honing in on my father’s experience as a first-generation immigrant in the UK, the project unravels themes of health, displacement and family care. The project bridges the family archive, with an ongoing documentation of his present life, and behaves as witness between his two homes - both Kenya and the UK. I explore the juxtaposition between his solitary life in the UK, compared to his extraordinarily different personality in Kenya, whilst feeding in the nuances of family dynamics and English life.

Echoes of the Pear Garden

Andrew Kung

Echoes of the Pear Garden documents New York City Chinese opera troupes in Manhattan’s Chinatown; this project follows middle aged and elderly performers - some professionals from China and others amateurs - who preserve this art form’s tradition in America as a centerpiece of their own identity.

My Daughter, Bonita
Akanksha Pandey

Bonita’s story is a powerful and multi-layered one, deeply intertwined with personal, familial, and societal dynamics. Growing up in a village like Pali in Rajasthan, where rigid class and caste+veil systems prevail, her journey of gender transition becomes not just about individual identity but also about challenging foundations of deeply patriarchal societies, long-standing traditions and cultural norms.

Olympos

Alex Kurunis

Greek Orthodox Easter Friday in the remote village of Olympos, Karpathos. Women of all ages adorn an epitaph with fresh flowers, in an ode to those from the community who have passed away that year. This is one of many cherished unique customs of the village, which persist even despite a gradual decline in the local population.

Note to Editors

About British Journal of Photography:

British Journal of Photography, the world’s longest-running photography title, has been showcasing pioneers of the art form since 1854. Through the lenses of world-class photographers, British Journal of Photography explores rich and timely stories of art, culture, politics and society. British Journal of Photography has also created a programme of internationally-renowned photography awards – including Female in Focus, OpenWalls, Portrait of Britain, BJP International Photography Award and Portrait of Humanity – all of which aim to celebrate emerging and established talent.

Explore BJP's award-winning photographic journalism online via 1854.photography – and through its quarterly print magazine.

About WeTransfer

WeTransfer, the most creative platform for sharing ideas, makes it easy for creators to share and distribute content, and collaborate with teams. With an average of 80 million monthly active users in 190 countries, WeTransfer is a long-time champion of using business as a force for good. WePresent is WeTransfer’s Academy-award winning arts platform, acting as the company’s cultural torchbearer and creative commissioning body. Collaborating with emerging young talent to renowned artists, WePresent showcases the best in art, photography, film, music and more, championing diversity in everything it does. The platform’s commissions range from editorial features to films, illustrations, photography series, events, and exhibitions, with an aim to offer a fresh take on the magic and mystery of creative ideas.

About OpenWalls:

OpenWalls is an international photography award by British Journal of Photography in collaboration with Galerie Huit Arles which platforms emerging and established artists in prestigious institutions worldwide.

About Galerie Huit Arles:

Galerie Huit Arles is situated in a 17th-century mansion in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Arles, France. The Provencal town is renowned for its Roman monuments, world-class museums, the painter Vincent Van Gogh, the Luma Foundation, and prestigious Arts Festivals. Founded in 2007, Galerie Huit Arles has acquired a solid reputation for the careful selection of its artists – both established and emerging – and the quality of its hangings and installations.

Exhibitions are curated either independently or in collaboration. Partners have included: The Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Factum Arte Madrid, British Journal of Photography, City Hall Kuala Lumpur, and Galerie SIT DOWN, Paris. As well as regular exhibitions and distinguished private views, the gallery hosts Art Stays for the discerning traveller, Artists’ Residencies and thematic workshops. Much more than just an art space, Galerie Huit Arles is a creative, inspirational and convivial venue in a magnificent location.