‘Cholesterol in the liver’ by Steve Gschmeissner, winner, The Marvels of Scientific and Medical Imaging, Wellcome Photography Prize 2025
A microscopic journey into the world of heart disease. A collaboration with domestic abuse survivors in South Asian communities. And a tender attempt to give a child experience of nature... on a rooftop in Dhaka.
A trio of image-makers working in contrasting genres are the winners of the Wellcome Photography Prize 2025. Each offers an insight into the world around us – using scientific imagery, art and documentary photography as their tools.
Mithail Afrige Chowdhury, a documentary and street photographer based in Bangladesh, is awarded the Striking Solo Photography prize for his image ‘Urban travel’. The photograph, showing a mother giving her daughter a precious taste of nature during a rooftop picnic in Dhaka, reflects quiet resilience amid rapid urbanisation and the climate crisis.
Steve Gschmeissner, winner of the The Marvels of Scientific and Medical Imaging category, uses electron microscopy to show cholesterol crystals forming inside lipid-laden liver cells. When cholesterol solidifies from liquid to crystal, the consequences can be devastating, leading to heart disease and strokes.
Sujata Setia, an exhibitor for the RPS International Photography Exhibition 166, wins the A Storytelling Series category. Her series A Thousand Cuts, previously featured in the RPS Journal, was a collaboration with survivors and the charity SHEWISE. Setia created anonymised portraits using the Indian paper-cutting technique sanjhi to overlay each woman’s photograph.
Here, we share the work of the three award recipients, along with finalists featured in the Wellcome Photography Prize 2025 exhibition.
The Wellcome Photography Prize 2025 exhibition is at the Francis Crick Institute, London, until 18 October 2025, Wednesday to Saturday.
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‘Urban travel’ by Mithail Afrige Chowdhury, winner, Striking Solo Photography, Wellcome Photography Prize 2025
From the series A Thousand Cuts by Sujata Setia, winner, A Storytelling Series, Wellcome Photography Prize 2025
‘Cricket is my emotions’ by Ziaul Huque, finalist, Striking Solo Photography, Wellcome Photography Prize 2025
‘Dream to cure water’ by Ciril Jazbec, finalist, A Storytelling Series, Wellcome Photography Prize 2025
‘Self, five years on, 2014-2022’ from the series This Is Endometriosis by Georgie Wileman, finalist, Striking Solo Photography, Wellcome Photography Prize 2025
‘Submarine fever’ by Jander Matos and Joaquim Nascimento, finalist, The Marvels of Scientific and Medical Imaging, Wellcome Photography Prize 2025
‘I spend 150 hours alone each week’ by Madeleine Waller, finalist, A Storytelling Series, Wellcome Photography Prize 2025