The Chocolate Factory
8 March - 7 April

British Journal of Photography FORMAT EXPOSURE Award

Exploring what it is like to be a young person in an industrialized metropolis, Kurmaz documents the active social lives of a young generation of what he describes as ‘heroes’ in Donetsk in the Ukraine.

The panel of jurors included curator Zelda Cheatle, Harry Hardie of Here, and Louise Clements, the founder and Artistic Director of FORMAT, and QUAD. After intense deliberations, a shortlist of 54 photographers was narrowed down to two – both of which receiving unanimous praise from the judges.

Kurmaz was selected for his work My World is not Real Enough for an Apocalypse, a study of the young generation’s social life in and around Donetsk, Ukraine. “I was curious to know what it means to be young in the industrial metropolis,” says the 26-year-old Ukrainian photographer. “In my work, I tried to convey the natural character of my heroes in a real Ukrainian reality.” The resulting series is composed of 40 photographs and six audio recordings.

www.sashakurmaz.com