Cole Ndelu, aged 22, from the Stellenbosch Academy of Design & Photography, has been announced as a shortlisted photographer in the Student Focus competition of the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards, the world's largest photography competition.
© Cole Ndelu, Stellenbosch Academy of Design & Photography, South Africa, Student Focus Shortlist
click to enlargeNdelu’s shortlisted image, ‘Pride of the Panther’, was selected from entries submitted by students from over 300 institutions across the globe. It is one of ten images shortlisted by a panel of esteemed judges looking for the best single image answering the brief ‘Memories’. The Student Focus shortlist is revealed on the same day as the shortlisted photographers of the Sony World Photography Awards’ Professional, Open and Youth competitions, to which a total of 227,596 images from 183 countries were entered.
As a shortlisted photographer, Ndelu has been given a prestigious Sony α7 full frame, which she will now use to complete a second photography challenge set by the judges. Ndelu will also be flown to London in April to attend the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony on Thursday 20 April. The winner of the Student Photographer of the Year title will be announced at the ceremony and will receive the grand prize of €30,000 worth of Sony equipment for his/her university.
The photographer’s work will also be show in London as part of the Sony World Photography Awards & Martin Parr - 2017 Exhibition, and published in the 2017 edition of the awards’ book.
Scott Gray, CEO, World Photography Organisation, notes: “The Student Focus competition is an integral part to the Awards program as it aims to uncover young, fresh photographic talent and works to propel them forward in their career.”
Student Focus judge Andrea Kurland adds: “This year's shortlist helps cement why awards like these are more important than ever. The work submitted was original, thoughtful and brave - a healthy reminder that talent will always win out and rise above the noise.”
Shortlisted image and photographer background
Ndelu’s shortlisted image ‘Pride of the Panther’ is a fascinating portrait of Zana Masombuka, referring to the South African student protest against the tuition fees. Interested in how the protest action moved from the ‘real world’ to the ‘online world’, and carried on in places like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, the photographer chose to render her image in a way in order to highlight the role of the social media in the protest action.
Describing her image, Ndelu notes: “Zana is dressed in full black - similarly to the Black Panther Party - and I have chosen to distort, fracture and glitch the image. My image is about how we remember and where we go to remember - there are no physical monuments for the students protesting against the tuition fees. Also, I wanted to remind people of how this movement changes (changed) online, because online spaces often distort the truth and the reality.”
Based in Pretoria, South Africa, Cole Ndelu is a recent graduate of the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography. She is a visual communicator with the strong desire to spark conversation, and inspire thought and exploration.
Mark Antonello, Head of Department Photography, Stellenbosch Academy of Design & Photography, comments: “Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography is overwhelmed and proud of this amazing accolade! Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography strives to develop and expose our photography students to the highest caliber of talent and expertise in the industry and we believe that the Sony World Photography Awards Student Focus program represents this for our students. Stellenbosch Academy of Design & Photography is very proud to represent the young emerging talent from South Africa as well as being part of this industry leading global competition celebrating its tenth anniversary!”
Cole Ndelu was also commended for a single image in the Portraits category of the Open competition.
- Student will be flown to London to compete for €30,000 worth of Sony photography equipment
- Winner revealed on Thursday 20 April
- Two further South African photographers also placed top 50 in their categories in the Open competition
- Images available at www.worldphoto.org/press
Sony World Photography Awards
Produced by the World Photography Organisation, 2017 sees the 10th anniversary of the Sony World Photography Awards and a decade-long partnership with headline sponsor, Sony.
Each year the awards recognise and reward the very best contemporary photography captured over the last year entered into any of the awards’ four competitions - Professional, Open, Youth and Student Focus. With 49 nationalities represented, the 2017 shortlists reinforce the awards’ international appeal and unique ability to present the greatest images taken by photographers from all corners of the world on a truly global scale.
