PHOTO ESSAY WINNERS | 13TH ANNUAL MPA

1st PLACE WINNER

PHOTO ESSAY WINNERS | 13TH ANNUAL MPA

Firecracker Symphony by Victor Tan KH

If we search for the Nine Emperor celebration in Thailand, the results often highlight the Phuket Vegetarian Festival held in Phuket Old Town. However, little is known about the Nine Emperor celebration in Phang-Nga, a province in southern Thailand.

This celebration offers a unique experience distinct from what I observed in Phuket.

Devotees from neighboring shrines carry sedans in a parade around town. Throughout the procession, they face a relentless barrage of firecrackers, creating a powerful and smoky spectacle.

In addition, there is a dynamic ritual of swinging the sedan back and forth, with a rotation of participants at the conclusion of each round.

 

2nd PLACE WINNER

Dancing Flowers by Ren Shi

I love nature and sometimes seek inspiration for my creations in nature. In nature, flowers are often regarded as graceful, pure, and full of vitality. In my opinion, these qualities coincide with ballet dancers and their dresses, both in inner charm and external form.

I integrated the two concepts of “ballet” and “flowers” through a top-down shooting perspective, showcasing the grace and vitality of the dancers like flowers through their body movements.

In this visual metaphor, the cyclical growth and wilting of flowers contrast with the careers of ballet dancers. Flowers bloom every year, symbolizing the iteration and renewal of life in nature. Although ballet dancers **may** eventually retire from their dancing career at a certain stage due to physical injuries, their artistic spirit continues.

Through teaching, they pass on the experience they have accumulated on stage to the next generation of dancers, just like flowers that bloom repeatedly every year, the beauty of art is passed on from generation to generation.

  

3rd PLACE WINNER

Builders by Julian Lisek

Since the 1980s the construction and public works sector has been seen by some as a backwater.

If you do badly at school, they say “…You’ll end up as a bricklayer or a welder” as though it was a threat! In my opinion, intelligence is no guarantee of success at school.

It is time to bring out of the shadows those who have been there for too long. It is time to bring out of the shadows those who build our society.

Let us praise those who do the hard work so that we all may thrive.