FOREWORD

In photography, the traditional place for women is in front of the lens. Whether we like to admit it or not, is by and large a male-dominated arena, where the looking is a masculine act, and the subject is feminine, playing the role of looked-at and admired mainly for their outward appearance. Photography, then, has been a mirror for conventional gender roles in western society. What is it like, then, to be a female photographer, to be a woman who has seized hold of an instrument of which she traditionally remains in front, and to use her eye to view the world, rather than use it to throw back a soft, muted glance into the receiving end of a male gaze? It may sound primitive to talk of the female photographer in such a way, but as the photographers of 30 Under 30 women will undoubtedly profess, resistance – or discrimination, even subtle – can be common even today. We will each have our own stories of how being a woman has hindered or aided our pursuit of this profession. One might say that looking at the work of 30 female photographers is an affirmative act, and so it is, to the necessary extent where a focus is placed on the work of women, whether or not you view their work as intrinsically female or feminine – or simply human.

– Natalie Dybisz (Miss Aniela / 2010)

Founded in 2010, 30 Under 30 Women Photographers has helped emerging, mid-career, as well as some accomplished women photographers gain further exposure and participate in a collective among peers. With styles ranging from art photography to documentary, portraiture to street and fashion, the works have been overwhelmingly well received.

Previous groups have exhibited in Paris and Lille (2018, 2019) in partnership with Maison Photo at Maison de la Photographie and Galerie Claude Samuel, as well as in Rome (2017) in collaboration with CultRise and Dude Magazine. With the global pandemic and the impact it has had on artists and the art industry at large, the group 2020 gave occasion to launch Artpil's online viewing room and the 2021 and 2022 groups saw our partipation in Rome Art Week. More recently in collaboration with Recontemporary in 2023 was held an artist reception and video projection, as the 2024 and 2025 groups continued in our growing collaboration with Torino Art Week. This year promises further exposure with a growing audience for the 2026 group.

Among the growing list of photographers in the collective, many have come from or have gone on to join agencies such as Magnum or Hans Lucas, and organizations like ICP International Center of Photography. Others have won World Press Photo awards and represented in festivals of Les Rencontres d’Arles, Circulation(s), and Voies Off. Publications include Aperture, The New York Times, and Photo Vogue, and several of the photographers have continued to contribute their series to Artpil, including Benedetta Ristori (2017) Being Human; Julie Hascoët (2017) Mexican Journal; Sarah Blesener (2018) Toy Soldiers; Ekaterina Anchevskaya (2018) Forgiving and I Remember Nothing; and Laure d’Utruy (2017) with Tempohome and The Royal Road: In Transformation, Wlasta Laura (2023) with The Unspoken Things; and Galya Budagova (2023) with A Journey Inward.