/ 2026 / Fine Art / Other

LYKEN

Prize

Honorable Mention
Photographer

Mike South, United Kingdom
Date of Photograph

15/04/2026

LYKEN is an attempt to take ownership of my childhood night terrors. I use 3D modelling to reconstruct fragmented memories, then use Extended Reality (XR) as a way to ‘physically’ enter those memories. I can literally move around my imagination in 3D space. By placing memories into the real world and standing in front of them, I experience a form of healing exposure therapy.

Working on location, everything is shot in-camera, where natural light, weather, and space merge with digital forms. The lens sees the real and imagined co-existing in real time. See my process: mikesouthmakes.com/lyken