Photography graduate’s mesmerising image selected for Portrait of Britain

An arresting self-portrait by USW BA Photography graduate Paris Tankard has been selected for the British Journal of Photography’s Portrait of Britain award.

The national Portrait of Britain award aims to provide a snapshot of the past year through 99 compelling portraits. Designed to illustrate the diversity of life in modern Britain, the award invites us to reflect on the multiplicity of voices and stories across the country, forming a precious historical record of British life.

Paris’s image, i, untitled, explores the relationship between their identity as a queer person and as a black British person. The face seen is indistinguishable and allows people to project themselves onto Paris.

The winning portraits, selected by a panel of industry-leading judges, are now part of the UK’s biggest annual photography exhibition – a month-long digital screen display in partnership with JCDeaux.