Anthony Gebrehiwot, The Power of a Hug, from the series From Boys to Men: The Road to Healing, 2020. Courtesy of the artist

Anthony Gebrehiwot awarded the 2021 Gattuso Prize

The Gattuso Prize of $5,000 acknowledges an outstanding artist in the Juried Call Exhibition program of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. Juried Call Exhibitions are selected to be part of the Festival through a submission process and are independently organized by artists, venues, and organizations across the city.

The jury, comprising Emilie Croning (independent curator) and Solana Cain (photo editor and independent curator), based their decision on the calibre and concept of the work and the overall impact and presentation of the exhibition.

“Exhibited at an attention-demanding scale in public vitrines at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus, Anthony Gebrehiwot’s From Boys to Men: The Road to Healing is a striking body of work. Gebrehiwot’s storytelling is vibrant both in portraiture and impact. Gebrehiwot’s work pushes back at monolithic representations of Black men and boldly challenges toxic masculinity by offering ways to care, break cycles, and grow. This body of work serves as a reflection of Gebrehiwot’s self-discovery as an emerging artist, and his commitment to his community, strengthened by the shift from private to public spaces.”

Anthony Gebrehiwot is an award-winning visual artist and community leader whose creative lens re-visions photography as an ongoing dialogue of social change between subject and society. Gebrehiwot seeks to communicate without language in an intimate and vulnerable way. Through photography, he portrays the vocabulary of race, masculinity, history, perception, and vulnerability. Gebrehiwot has exhibited at various galleries and festivals, including Nuit Blanche 2017 and 2019, CONTACT Gallery, and Margin of Eras Gallery. He founded XVXY Photo in 2014, focusing on studio portraiture.

From Boys to Men: The Road to Healing is presented by Doris McCarthy Gallery in the Instructional Centre Vitrines, and is on view through August 12, 2022.

CONTACT gratefully acknowledges the generous support and contributions of La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso. The Foundation demonstrates strong leadership and influences innovation across all charitable sectors in Canada including health care, culture and the arts.

Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival
80 Spadina Ave, Suite 205
Toronto, Ontario M5V 2J4
416 539 9595
info@scotiabankcontactphoto.com
scotiabankcontactphoto.com
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

CONTACT is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and fostering the art and profession of photography with an annual Festival in May and year-round programming in the CONTACT Gallery. CONTACT embraces an inclusive and accessible approach to the medium, and cultivates collaborations with and among artists, curators, institutions, and organizations.

CONTACT is generously supported by Scotia Wealth Management, Pattison Outdoor Advertising, La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso, Toronto Image Works, The Gilder, Transcontinental PLM, 3M Canada, Waddington’s Auctioneers and Appraisers, Four By Eight Signs, Beyond Digital Imaging, Steam Whistle Brewing, BIG Digital, The Globe and Mail, NOW Magazine, CBC Toronto, Hyperallergic, and the Metropolitan.

CONTACT gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, Reconnect Ontario, Ontario Arts Council, The Government of Ontario, Partners in Art, Canada Council for the Arts, the Howard Webster Foundation, Mondriaan Foundation, Pro Helvetia, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Toronto Arts Council, and all of our funders, donors, and programming partners.