HeadStrong: The Women of Rural Uganda

• Prize
  Shortlist
• Photographer
  dan nelken, United States
• Date of Photograph
  2018-2019
• Category
  Africa
• Studio
  dan nelken photography LLC
• Image Location
  USA
• Socials
• Website
  http://www.dannelken.com

This ongoing project about the working women of rural Uganda began in Gulu at a quarry. Nearly all the workers who break large rocks into gravel size pellets are female. They earn 1000 UGX ($0.30) for every jerry can of gravel that they fill. This is extremely difficult labor and dangerous work. I placed the women in front of mosquito netting, allowing them to be noticed, appreciated, and valued for their labor and economic contributions. Beatrice Lamwaka, a well-known Ugandan author, is providing the essential African female viewpoint on this project. Theirs are voices that are rarely heard.

• Biography
  Dan Nelken is a visual artist, educator, lecturer, & documentary storyteller based in NYC. He specializes in portrait-based photography that offers a window into communities that often exist outside of the cultural mainstream. His portraits aspire to accentuate individuality while acknowledging the importance of group behaviors, habits, and rituals. His work has been exhibited and published internationally & is both public and private collections, including the MAST Foundation, Bologna, IT, The International Center of Photography, NYC, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Vontobel Art Collection.
• Awards
  2021 Meitar Awards For Excellence in Photography, an international juried exhibition: Top 20 Finalists; Exhibition in PHOTOIS:RAEL, Tel-Aviv, IS 2020 Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2020, an international juried exhibition: Finalist: Two photographs from HeadStrong: The Women of Rural Uganda [National Portrait Gallery, London, UK 15th Julia Maragaret Cameron Award First Prize “The Feminine Universe” Quarry Workers BarTur PhotoAward: Shortlisted 2019 Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards 2019: Unyielding Gaze: First Prize: “HeadStrong: The Women of Rural Uganda” Tokyo International Foto Awards: Bronze Prize: Portraits: HeadStrong: The Women of Rural Uganda 13 Pollux Awards: People Category Series: First Prize for HeadStrong: The Women of Rural Uganda Athens Photo Festival 2019: Shortlisted for Portrait Series: “HeadStrong: The Women of Rural Uganda International Photography Grant: Portrait Nominee: HeadStrong: The Women of Rural Uganda: 2018 Photo Review Best of Show 2018: Third Prize, Juried by Sarah Meister: Akello Shara: Age: 13 Carries a 5 gallon jerry-can of water (41 lbs) for home use twice a day. Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2018: Selected: Akello Shara: Age: 13 Carries a 5 gallon jerry-can of water (41 lbs) for home use twice a day. 2006 Critical Mass: “Till the Cows Come Home: County Fair Portraits” Aperture, Portfolio Picks Honorable Mention: “Till the Cows Come Home: County Fair Portraits” The Rhubarb-Rhubarb free book competition: “Till the Cows Come Home: County Fair Portraits” COLLECTIONS The Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Houston, TX International Center of Photography, New York, NY Haverford College Fine Art Photography Collection, Haverford, PA Beth Hatefutsoth Museum, Jerusalem, Israel MAST Foundation, Bologna, IT The Center for Photography Kingston Vontobel Art Collection, Zurich,CH W. M. Hunt Collection Dancing Bear, New York City, NY