Aperture x Photography
Adraint Bereal, Untitled, 2020, from the series The Black Yearbook

COVID-19 has impacted the world in every aspect—holistically, socially, extensive loss, economically, and so-forth. And as we continue to navigate through collectively, it’s what we do with intention, that counts. Within the arts sector, many artist—often self-employed—have been majorly effected, by the crippling effects of said virus. That’s where the Creator Labs Photo Fund steps in. Aperture (the multi-platform publisher and center for the photo community) and Google’s Creator Labs have teamed up to launch a new initiative—the Creator Labs Photo Fund—aimed at providing financial support to photographers in the wake of COVID-19. Selected by Aperture’s editors, the twenty artists, recognized for their impressive portfolio of image making, will be awarded a prize of $5,000 each to sustain their artistic practice. With this prize, artists can focus on exploring different mediums, buying supplies, paying for framing etc—and continue to focus on their crafts.

The fantastic pool of wining image makers include; Daveed Baptiste, Adraint Bereal, Shawn Bush, Jasmine Clarke, Matt Eich, Arielle Gray, Naomieh Jovin, Priya Suresh Kambli, Tommy Kha, Sydney Mieko King, Miguel Limon, Sophie Lopez, Giancarlo Montes Santangelo, Alana Perino, Jade Thiraswas, Bryan Thomas, Maximilian Thuemler, Allie Tsubota, Aaron Turner, and Jasmine Veronica. Each artist work’ channels a sense of intimacy and familiarity in some way, with themes of identity and personhood as they relate to community, family and heritage. From Daveed Baptiste’ work that examines social dynamics in Haitian American life through built domestic environments touching on his hybridity of immigrating and growing up in the US, to Matt Eich’ work that explores the beauty of nature through landscapes of his native Virginia. This collective of recipients, are incredibly talented with their interpersonal, cathartic lens, and are a part of a blossoming class of the next generation of image makers.

Aperture x Photography
Sydney Mieko King, Redcliff St., 2020, from the series Entanglement

“We all communicate with images today—and we encourage all photographers to continue their practices ensuring a more rigorous, more expansive range of expressions to the field. Together, Aperture and Google are proud to offer these twenty photographers our support, which we hope will be meaningful for their work and careers.”

— Lesley A. Martin, Creative Director, Aperture

Aperture x Photography
Tommy Kha, Assemblies I (or Me Crying in Three Takes), 2020, from the series Facades

Aperture has continuously dedicated its’ platform to advancing photography and creating spaces and opportunities for image makers, and this initiative is right in line with that.

See some of the works by the phenomenal recipient artist below: