The prestigious Head On Portrait Prize has revealed its 2025 winners as the annual photography festival launches at Sydney's iconic Bondi Pavilion Gallery. Running until 30 November, this year's event continues its tradition of showcasing both Australian and international photographic talent, with additional outdoor displays at Paddington Reservoir Gardens and along Bondi beach.
Celebrated Winners and Their Powerful Stories
The overall winner, Lívia Peres, captured a haunting image titled The world burns gently, featuring a child playing while surrounded by bushfire smoke. The photographer described the moment: "He kept playing while the air thickened. I stayed quiet, watching him framed between bushes and smoke. It wasn't the fire that moved me, it was his stillness inside it."
International recognition went to Natascha Tahabsem for Witness, Gaza, portraying a young cancer patient evacuated from Gaza. The child had endured a seven-hour journey after his hospital was destroyed by bombing. Journalists and medics crowded the crossing as the photographer captured this poignant moment before the boy was transferred to a helicopter.
Australian runner-up Chrystal de Louise presented Soft Return, a postpartum self-portrait that challenges traditional narratives of motherhood. The work centres the maternal gaze and honours the often unseen labour of care, creating what the artist describes as "a visual meditation on embodied philosophy."
Diverse Finalists Showcase Global Perspectives
Among the remarkable finalists was Hilary Wardhaugh's portrait of Zev and Nick, documenting their eight-year relationship. The image captures Zev's journey, having begun medically transitioning seven months into their relationship, while Nick also maintains a separate three-year relationship with a girlfriend.
Yannis Kontos contributed a moving image from Sierra Leone, showing seven-year-old Young Abu buttoning his father's collar in an amputee camp. The father, Abu Bakarr Kargbo, 31, was among thousands affected by Revolutionary United Front atrocities during the country's devastating civil war from 1991 to 2002.
Other notable works included Aletheia Casey's My mother and my son, part of her series Waiting for a bird, inspired by her mother's belief that a bird would carry her soul after death. The festival also features Matthew Newton's environmental portrait of veteran activist Bob Brown standing on a eucalyptus regnans stump in Tasmania, questioning what can be saved from industrial development.
Festival Legacy and Future Impact
Since its establishment in 2010, the Head On festival has become a significant platform for photographic art, attracting global attention while maintaining strong Australian roots. This year's selection demonstrates the continuing power of portrait photography to document human experience across diverse cultures and circumstances.
The festival runs until 30 November 2025, offering visitors multiple venues to experience these compelling works. The outdoor displays at Paddington Reservoir Gardens and Bondi beach provide accessible viewing opportunities for the wider public, continuing the festival's mission to bring powerful photography to diverse audiences.
