Congratulations to Ben Ali Ong on being shortlisted as a finalist in the 2018 Iris Award at the Perth Centre for Photography.

Ben Ali Ong is an artist working predominantly across photography, video and mixed media. Choosing to work solely in black and white, his brooding photographs are defined by their use of dream-like imagery. Often blurry, grainy and scratched – Ong’s pictorial choices appear to be made completely at random, creating a disjointed and surreal narrative.

The IRIS Award is an international prize recognising new and outstanding portraiture in photographic art. The criteria for selection focuses on portraits that are unique, compelling and engaging whilst maintaining excellence in photography. The award is open to photographic artists from all over the world and will culminate in a professional group exhibition of finalists’ work at the Perth Centre for Photography.

This year, the Iris Award will be judged by curator and acclaimed artist, Petrina Hicks. In considering the submissions, Petrina is “interested in work that questions, subverts, investigates, explores, usurps the photographic representation of people, yet at the core remains authentic and genuine in its enquiry”. Petrina has been featured widely in group and solo exhibitions in Australia and internationally, and her work included in various important national and international art collections.

The winner of the Iris prize will be announced on the opening night, 11 October 2018 at Perth Centre for Photography.