Liz Johnson Artur, winner of the 2021 Women In Motion Award for photography

Women In Motion and the Rencontres d’Arles

In an effort to fight inequality between women and men in the world of cinema, Kering founded Women In Motion in 2015. The program is a showcase for the work of women in film. Convinced that creativity and culture are powerful drivers for change, the Group extended the program to photography in 2016 by sponsoring the Madame Figaro Arles Photography Award. In 2019, Kering partnered up with the Rencontres d’Arles, extending the Women In Motion program to the festival. Together, they created the Women 
In Motion LAB  and the Women In Motion Award for Photography, which aims to shine a light on women photographers. The first Women In Motion Award for Photography went to American photographer, Susan Meiselas. 

This third Award for Photography is presented to Russian-Ghanaian artist, Liz Johnson Artur. Born in 1964, Liz Johnson Artur is a Russian-Ghanaian photographer, based in London. Since 1991, Liz Johnson Artur has compiled a body of work dedicated to the African diaspora worldwide, brought together in her Black Balloon Archive. These dynamic documentary photographs, in black and white and in color, paint a complex picture of Black identities. Her work rejects all the usual clichés and reflects the ability of the ‘subjects’ she photographs to decide for themselves how they should look. 
 

“ What interests me are the people, the people I don’t see represented anywhere else. ”

Liz Johnson Artur

Women in Motion podcast 

During the awards ceremony, Liz Johnson Artur recorded an episode for the Women In Motion podcast to encourage reflection on the representation of minorities and black people. In an interview with Géraldine Sarratia, she shares her vision of Photography, interpreted as a dialogue. Johnson Artur takes an ethical approach where the photographed subject is “in good company.” Happy listening!

Discover the other episodes of the Women In Motion podcast