WINNERS

Veil of Silence

  • Photographer
    Janine Oswald, Germany
  • Prize
    Silver Winner in Human/Youth

Caught between childhood and adulthood, Veil of Silence, captures the quiet turbulence of becoming. The subject, partially hidden behind a curtain of hair, symbolizes the inner retreat so often felt during adolescence — a time when the body changes faster than the voice can catch up, and silence becomes a form of self-protection. This veil is not just concealment, but transformation: a soft barrier between who we were and who we’re becoming. In this intimate stillness lies the strength of emerging identity, of learning to stand alone — even if the words aren’t there yet. Ilford HP5