The Finnish Photobook Award, co-organised by the Finnish Museum of Photography and the Association of Photographic Artists, is granted annually to a fine art photographic book. This year marks the sixth anniversary of the Award. A total of 30 high-quality applications were received, out of which four finalists were chosen.

The jury of the Photobook Award considered the books published in 2022 to be of a very high standard. Notable qualities include the carefully thought out dialogue between form and content, as well as the ways in which the image and text support each other. Now, more than ever before, the photobook format is seen as a diverse platform for presenting photographs. The jury also pointed out that the role of book publishers is changing: today, the process of making photobooks feels like a dialogue between a photographer and a publisher.

While the jury reached a strong consensus on its four finalists, many of the books that were left out of the final selection also inspired and delighted the jury, and they were earnestly discussed. The Photobook Award jury would like to thank all of the participants.

The four finalists of Photobook Award 2022 are: 

Adele Hyry: Chicken-Legged Hunter Ladybug
Tekla Inari: Ida Uphill (Bokeh)
Hilla Kurki: Almost All the Flowers in My Mother’s Garden (Khaos Publishing)
Henrik Malmström: Do Not Believe Everything (Pseudo Editions)

The finalist books are independent artworks which dare to reach out in many directions. The choices made with regard to the physical appearance – the materials and size – of each book are successful and fluently compliment the content held within their pages. It was noted that the innovative uses of typography and layout challenge the boundaries of the photobook format.

The finalists were chosen by a pre-selection jury consisting of photographic artists Marko Hämäläinen, Niko Luoma and Aura Saarikoski. The winner will be chosen by by writer, art historian Anna Kortelainen.

Photobook Award 2022 winner will be announced at an open event on Thursday 13 of April at 4pm at The Finnish Museum of Photography, Cable Factory.

The winner will be granted a prize of 2,000 euros and the other finalists 500 euros.

More information about the finalists can be found on the Photobook Award website. The finalist books are also available for purchase at the gallery’s bookshop (Yrjönkatu 8–10) and on our online shop.

The award highlights the book as a form of fine art photography and as an independent art work.  Our aim is to encourage and motivate authors of photobooks and to invite the public to become familiar with the art form. The Award will be granted for a high-quality fine art photographic book by a Finnish or Finland based artist. The winning book of the 2022 award must be published in year 2022.

image: Photobook Award finalists 2022, Minna Kurjenluoma