The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has concluded the October 2021 edition of the Instagram Photo Contest, Masks. Five winners were announced for the competition, which received submissions under the hashtag #HIPAContest_Masks. The contest winners hailed from; India, Indonesia, and Philippines.

 

HIPA Secretary General, Ali bin Thalith said, “The competition topics are chosen from the reality of different human activities, rituals, customs and behaviors associated with certain civilizations and cultures. There is always an attractive artistic interface for these activities and behaviors, and among the oldest and most famous in this context are masks that are worn, drawn or tattooed on people’s faces in hundreds of styles, colors, shapes, as well as connotations and meanings. We offered this opportunity to showcase the creativity of photographers in this field and the result was a beautiful variety of mask arts. We congratulate the winners, especially those who tasted winning for the first time, and we invite everyone to develop their technical levels and acquire more theoretical and practical artistic culture, and to constantly participate in competitions to refine their experiences and test the competitive level of their artworks.”

 

Our winner from India Shyjith Onden Cheriyath @shyjith_kannur said, “the photo was taken in Kannur, Kerala, India. For a famous ritual art form that originated in northern Kerala. It includes dance, mime and music, glorifying the beliefs of ancient tribes that place great value on the worship of heroes and the spirits of their ancestors. There are more than 450 types of shrines in Kannur district. Each of them has a special make-up and performance style. This particular pattern is called "Kaithachamundi".

 

This is my fourth win in the prestigious HIPA, I always participate in all HIPA’s competitions and I feel that it is one of the greatest platforms for competitions and photography education in the world, and my win in it is strengthened my audience from photographers’ ccommunities. As a travel and documentary photographer, my ambition is to win the annual HIPA competition to travel unknown parts of the world and inspire photographers.”

 

Tan Tie Hiap @inilensabudi, our winner from Indonesia explained, “During the closures I was taking many photos of myself with ideas and methods of my own creation, and when my friend told me that there is a competition on the HIPA platform, I immediately entered.

 

I have won many local photography competitions, but this is my first international win. Thank you, HIPA!! It is a very happy surprise for me and I am very grateful and happy that I was able to achieve one of my personal goals this year to win the International Photography Contest. Winning this competition gave me a new spirit to talk and participate more as a photographer. Now I can go on to be a better photographer.”