Deadline for nominations: Mon 23 Jun (2359H SGT)

Objectifs is excited to announce the launch of a new award, dedicated to celebrating and supporting the exceptional work of mid-career women and non-binary photographers, filmmakers and visual artists who work primarily in lens-based medium, and who are now at a pivotal stage in their careers.

Through the Objectifs Women in Focus Art Prize, we aim to recognise the achievements of artists who have demonstrated excellence and innovation in their body of work, with a focus on practices that are socially engaged or create space for impact, questioning, and dialogue. The Prize also reaffirms Objectifs’ commitment to amplifying visual stories by women and non-binary artists, and the value of supporting practitioners at different stages of their careers.

The SGD8,000 Prize is currently for Southeast Asians with at least 15 years as a professional practitioner. For 2025, the Prize will be offered to photographers and visual artists working in photography. It will be opened to filmmakers/those working in film in 2026.

Through an Open Call for Nominations, we invite curators, programmers and industry peers to highlight those who are pushing boundaries and creating meaningful, culturally relevant narratives. Nominations will be evaluated by a jury panel.

What are we looking for in nominations in 2025?

1. Photographers and visual artists who work primarily in photography medium, with a preference for work that are socially engaged or that explore and surface social issues/themes. (Note: Nominations for filmmakers and artists working in film/video open only in 2026).

2. Nominees must be a Southeast Asian citizen, with at least 15 years as a professional practitioner (the time period may include overlapping academic studies, if the nominee was pursuing a professional practice at the same time – e.g. freelance work, independent showcases).

3. There is no restriction on the use of the Prize money. Our only requirement is for the Prize recipient to deliver an artist-sharing session in October 2025 (format to discussed).

4. Nominations are open to the public and to all nationalities (note, only nominees must be Southeast Asian). Self-nominations and nominations by immediate family members will not be accepted.

5. Nominations will be assessed on:
i) A strong body of work that has a clear artistic vision, that preferably explores social themes.
ii) An active and ongoing record of participation in the field (may include exhibitions, festivals, screenings, publications, mentorships, community outreach etc).
iii) The nominee demonstrates a commitment to continued artistic growth and dedication to their craft.

6. One SGD8,000 Women in Focus Art Prize will be awarded. An award of SGD1,000 each will be given to two finalists.

7. Objectifs will contact nominees directly for the submission of materials. These materials will need to be submitted by 6 August 2025. The materials to be submitted by nominees will include a portfolio of up to 3 bodies of works/series that are most representative of their practice.

8. Results will be announced in October 2025, during the 8th edition of the Objectifs Women in Film & Photography Showcase.

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Selection Panel
The finalists for the award will be selected by the following panel:

Dr Charmaine Toh is Senior Curator, International Art (Photography) at Tate. Her research interests include alternative histories of photography and the colonial photographic archive. In her former role as Senior Curator at National Gallery Singapore, she curated Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia (2022), which was the first major survey of photography in the region. She was also co-curator for the Singapore Biennale (2013). Charmaine is the author of Imagining Singapore: Pictorial Photography from the 1950s to the 1970s (Brill, 2023) and is currently working on an exhibition about the expanded global histories of Pictorialism.

Lourdes A. Samson is Deputy Director at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila, responsible for deepening connections with existing collaborators, exploring innovative new partnerships, and supporting internal growth together with the team. Lou comes to MCAD Manila from Singapore where she was a co-founder of independent art space SEED and was actively involved with various institutional philanthropic initiatives. She holds an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University and an MA in Asian Art Histories from Goldsmith’s/ Lasalle College of the Arts. Together with her husband, she founded a key collection of Southeast Asian contemporary art, the Monsoon Southeast Asia Collection.
Yvonne Tham is the CEO of Esplanade, and serves on boards of educational and arts organisations in Singapore and internationally. Prior to joining Esplanade, Yvonne worked in public sector as Deputy CEO of National Arts Council, in the then-Ministry of Information, Communications, the Ministry of Manpower and the Arts, and as a junior college literature teacher.

The inaugural Objectifs Women in Focus Art Prize is made possible by a private donation. Please contact us at ryan@objectifs.com.sg if you wish to learn more about how you can support this Prize.