John Piris wins overall prize at Photographic Society’s competitive exhibition

by Leah Pou

John Piris won the overall prize at the Gibraltar Photographic Society’s Annual Competitive Exhibition for his piece ‘My Safe Space’.

The prizes were presented at the Annual Competitive Exhibition, which took place at the Gustavo Bacarisas Gallery.

The event, attended by Deputy Mayor Nicholas Guerrero and Minister John Cortes, celebrated the Gibraltar Photographic Society’s 60th Anniversary.

John Piris was surprised to be awarded the prize for his photograph, which he took on his new camera, he said he “did not expect to win at all”.

The photo of a baby monkey curled up with its mother can be interpreted in a number of ways, adjudicator Ross McKelvey said.

The monkey is staring directly into the camera.

“Is he scared, or is he just interested?” Mr McKelvey said.

He pointed out that the Rock of Gibraltar is reflected in the monkey’s eyes, and said he chose this piece as the overall winner due to its “Gibraltar touch.”

Mr McKelvey is the Founder and President of Catchlight Camera Club, Belfast.

This was his second time visiting Gibraltar to judge the Society’s Annual Exhibition, and he praised the participants for “upping their game,” adding it “was an absolute pleasure to come back to Gibraltar”.

He said that everyone with a photo displayed in the exhibition deserves recognition.

The Deputy Mayor congratulated the Photographic Society for being such an important “part of Gibraltar's artistic life”.

“Reaching 60 years is no small achievement, and it speaks of the passion of its members, both past and present, of the society's commitment to creativity, and of the support it has enjoyed from the wider community,” Mr Guerrero said.

For the past six decades, the Society has nurtured generations of photographers, “from enthusiastic beginners to accomplished artists”, through exhibitions, workshops, and consistent dedication to the craft.

He praised the Society for giving “our community a space to see the world through many different lenses, with each photograph telling its own story, capturing moments of beauty, truth, and imagination.”

Dr Cortes, who stood in for the Minister for Culture Christian Santos, also congratulated everyone who had a piece on display.

“Winners or not, the variety and the quality are outstanding,” he said.

“Every year I come, and I am impressed.”

The exhibition also featured photographs taken by GCSE and A-Level Photography students from Prior Park School.

They had the chance to display some of their coursework pieces, each selecting five images to put on display in one of the gallery’s vaults.

Drr Cortes presented them all with certificates recognising their talent and hard work.

The exhibition, which uses all five of the vaults in the Gustavo Bacarisas Gallery, will be open to the public until October 3.