Dainesha Nugent-Palache, Angaer, 2016. Inkjet print. The Wedge Collection, Private collections. © Dainesha Nugent-Palache.
Three artists have won the New Generation Photography Award, an annual prize that recognizes lens-based Canadian artists aged 35 and under.
The winners are Dustin Brons of Vancouver, Chris Donovan of Saint John and Dainesha Nugent-Palache of Brampton.
Each winner receives $10,000. Their work will also be part of exhibitions this year at the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival in Toronto and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.
Also, winners will be mentored by the curatorial team at the National Gallery of Canada and will participate in artist talks. Their work will also be included in exhibition tours and educational programming.
Chris Donovan, Dog with Pipeline, 2019. Inkjet print. Collection of the artist. © Chris Donovan.
Dustin Brons, Demand/Demands, 2019. Offset printed poster. Collection of the artist. © Dustin Brons.
The winners were selected from a longlist of 24 finalists. The decision was made by a jury composed of National Gallery of Canada associate curator, photographs, Andrea Kunard; artist and 2020 New Generation Photography Award winner Noah Friebel; University of Ottawa Visual Arts Department director Lorraine Gilbert; and artist and 2017 Scotiabank Photography Award winner Shelley Niro.
“The jury was very impressed with the calibre of work received,” Kunard, who was chair of the jury, said in a release. “Dainesha’s powerful portraits of women have a rich, painterly quality. She uses light in a sculptural way to mold and give presence to her subjects. Chris’ work is based in a history of documentary photography that he adeptly uses to tell his story. His images reveal the close relationship he has with his subjects and his concern for their welfare and that of his hometown. Dustin’s work impresses with his inquiry into the very workings of the medium. He draws images from a number of sources such as newspapers, realtor ads and Instagram, to show us the different ways images are read and the way they frame our understanding of the world.”
