Certamen de Retratos para Adolescentes 2022

Grand prize winner, age group 16–17

Nor This Nor That

“What is masculine? What is feminine? Are these ‘terms’ subjective? Do they even exist?” Artist Sara Sonnenblick asks these questions as she grapples with the constraints and restrictions of gender expression and authenticity in her portrait Nor This Nor That. The photograph, which depicts a young man wearing an open pink silk robe, invites the viewer to explore the ideas of “femininity” and “masculinity.”

Sonnenblick, who sees this portrait as an expression of her own journey in challenging these two binaries, concludes: “Masculinity and femininity are not real. . . . Being restricted [to] a ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ domain is neither realistic nor authentic to most people.”

Sara Sonnenblick (10th grade, Florida)
Inkjet print, 2022
Courtesy of the artist

Grand prize, age group 13–15

Trapped

In this black-and-white self-portrait, Otto Grunewald rests his bandaged head on a pillow and focuses his wide eyes on the viewer. The artist lets us into his world, explaining, “I suffer from generalized epilepsy disorder. This means I am in and out of the hospital multiple times a year, missing a lot of school.” The challenges Grunewald faces, however, are not just physical. His mental health is also affected. “I really have a hard time with it sometimes,” Grunewald explains. “My anxiety takes over my whole body and I can’t cope.”

Using photography as a tool, Grunewald communicates with others in an expressive manner. “I enjoy taking self-portraits,” the artist says, “because it can help explain how I am feeling in that moment.”

Otto Grunewald (7th grade, Michigan)
Inkjet print, 2022
Courtesy of the artist

Prim, Proper, and Trashed

by Bailey Levy
9th grade, Florida
Courtesy of the artist

Artist's Statement:
This photograph is meant to capture how teenagers might view their self-images. Despite their beauty, teenagers, specifically young girls, tend to criticize themselves constantly. This image portrays a "prim and proper" young girl with the materialization of her destructive thoughts weighing on her head. The girl in this photo may be seen as one of many young females who might not view themselves as "pretty." No matter how beautiful someone might actually be, they won’t think it if they don't see it.

Silence for Sisters

by Michael Hall
10th grade, Colorado
Courtesy of the artist

Artist's Statement:
This image focuses on the organization Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman (MMIW) and the lack of attention to its cause. As of 2016, the National Crime Information Center has reported 5,712 missing Indigenous women, who are also ten times more likely to be murdered than women of any other ethnicity. The model for this image is my friend, who is an Indigenous woman. We wanted to focus on MMIW because it draws attention to such an important issue. I decided to paint my friend’s hand red because that is the symbol of the MMIW. She puts it over her mouth to represent how little this issue is discussed as well as the forced silence of the stolen woman. I added the tear streaks because this doesn't just hurt those directly affected. It affects anyone who is a woman or a minority, so it should matter to everyone.

Night Horn

by Abe Effress
9th grade, Florida
Courtesy of the artist

Artist's Statement:
My photography takes inspiration from my identity as a musician in a time of loneliness for the world and myself. I started photography this school year. At first, it was a way to explore unfamiliar surroundings after my family lost our home and we were forced to move. Because of our new living situation, I was only able to practice my saxophone and piano at school, so when I was at home I turned to my camera. I chose the black-and-white medium because it allows me to capture contrast. When I’m looking through my camera lens at a musician playing their instrument, I see the tension within an artist who both loves and struggles with the music they’re aiming to create. In my self-portraits, I hope to capture that internal paradox. When I play the saxophone or sit down to a piano, I tune out my surroundings, and playing becomes as natural as breathing. In this self-portrait, I used a spotlight against a dark night sky to convey my solitude, concentration, and uncertainty, and the feeling that the only thing that matters is the music.

Unbreakable

by Tamara Benarroch
11th grade, Florida
Courtesy of the artist

Artist's Statement:
My piece is inspired by the new age of femininity that society is moving toward. As a young woman and now a first-degree black belt, this idea of powerful femininity is a vital part of my identity. When I practiced martial arts from ages seven to fifteen, I was constantly surrounded by guys, which quickly prompted the emergence of my fierce side. Although not every girl has eight years of training, every girl has a powerful side. Strength is very often associated with masculinity, but true strength is resilience and vulnerability. Through Unbreakable, I want to reveal young women’s identities as fierce, strong, and fearless individuals while still embracing our sensitivity and femininity. I wish to inspire other girls, expand the idea of powerful female figures, and illustrate the new beauty of having feminine strength, determination, and spirit. No longer are we fragile entities, but rather strong, powerful figures.

Stage Fright

by Gabriella Silverstein
9th grade, Florida
Courtesy of the artist

Artist's Statement:
Insecurity riddles the minds of every teenager I know. For some, it is their bodies, for others a feature of their face. The features that will later help you grow into yourself and understand your identity scar how you think about yourself as a teen. Fear grows in the minds of teenagers, who wonder what others think when they first meet you and see the imperfections you believe scar your body. Using the idea of imperfection and vulnerability, I hope to capture the inability to come to terms with these “imperfections.” Hugging her legs to her body, seemingly hiding from view, the sitter has an almost unreadable blank stare. Her hair falls over her, covering her even more. She stares straight at the viewer, as if knowing they are looking at her.

Your Landscapers
by Britney Simbana-J
11th grade, Maryland
Courtesy of the artist

Artist's Statement:
My work represents the workers who go unnoticed in American society. I have faith that you may see those who raised me as more than the hands that clean your yard. I believe my work adds to the representation of a hard-working community that many fail to acknowledge today. Through black-and-white photography, I introduce my personal experiences and document my raw observations to the world. Ultimately, I hope my work provides comfort and removes judgment, an obstacle that limits our respect and understanding of each other’s backgrounds. By documenting the emotion surrounding us, I hope to help move away from the hate that makes us narrow minded.

Silenced

by Sydney McDonald
10th grade, Maryland
Courtesy of the artist

Artist's Statement:

I created this work by first sketching out some concepts and then finalizing my idea through photography. While creating this, I learned how to work with models, use different lighting, and set up a conceptual portrait. My favorite part about this process was taking the photos, and it felt good to see my ideas come together. This piece was inspired by my observations of how American women of color are still silenced in a country with so many freedoms. I hope that it will inspire people to change their perception about women of color and what we have to say.

Fragmentation

by Sky Smith
9th grade, Maryland
Courtesy of the artist

Artist's Statement:
I took this photo for a portrait project. I prefer to shoot in black-and-white and found this composition interesting. I wanted to take a photo that showed the different sides of humans, which is why my model can be seen from three angles.