Aperture and Google announce the artists selected from the 2023 Creator Labs Photo Fund

The fund, a partnership between Aperture and Google’s Creator Labs, concludes its second season announcing the selection of 30 artists.

September 28, 2023

2023 Creator Labs Photo Fund Aperture announces the selected artists

Creator Labs Photo Fund is an initiative born from the partnership between the New-York based photography foundation Aperture and Google s Creator Labs in order to financially support artists aged 18 and older, based in the United States, during the most formative and delicate moments of their careers.

Google s Creator Labs was launched in 2019 in partnership with SN37 and the first collaboration with Aperture happened in 2021, providing financial support to 20 artists, in the precarious times that followed the spread of COVID-19. Now, the second edition included a wider selection of artists, chosen regardless their previous experience and publications, as underlined by the Aperture Editor Brendan Embser:

“Partnering with Google on the second edition of the Creator Labs Photo Fund embodies Aperture’s longstanding mission to support new voices in photography. The 30 selected artists bring us projects with a dynamic and wide range of approaches, including commentaries on photography’s documentary and archival potential, and intimate explorations of identity and community. Aperture’s editorial team recognizes critical rigor animating the work by each of these artists, reaffirming the role that images play in creating a dialogue with the past and envisioning new possibilities for the future.”

The grant consists in$6,000 for each one of the following artists:

Congratulations from the PhotoVogue Team to Ashley Markle, Avijit Halder, Golden, and Ramona Jingru Wang who are also part of our PhotoVogue Community.

Some of the artists shared with us their thoughts on this experience and how they will benefit from the trust they received in order to pursue their artistic journey.

Natalie Keyssar

“Honestly this support means the world to me. I got the email while I was in Ukraine continuing my series on Love and War, and it gave me a really powerful sense of affirmation, just when I needed it, that this work is resonating. Sometimes I feel a bit crazy asking Ukrainians to share their love stories while their country is under attack, but I m always inspired by how much people want to speak about love during such dark times, because in so many ways that s what they re fighting for. Making this project gives me a huge sense of responsibility to the people who let me into their lives to make sure they re seen and heard and communicated properly, so knowing that the teams behind the Creator Labs Photo Fund believe in it- just means everything coming from industry leaders I admire so much. And financially this support will be funding my next trip this fall and I am infinitely grateful to be able to spend more time with the amazing people I m working with as a result.”

Yael Malka

“Aperture is an institution I have always held up in high regard so to be recognized by them as someone who deserves support to continue making work is highly affirming. Life as an artist is full of self-doubt and failure, therefore moments of recognition and celebration are essential. When I found out I was one of the recipients of the Creator Labs Photo Fund, my creative energy felt bolstered. The support of an institution such as Aperture is invaluable to my trajectory as an artist. To be alongside other amazing artists who I admire is such a lovely feeling.”

Ira Lupu

“Everyone appreciates timely support, but as a Ukrainian, over the last eighteen months I learned an additional thing or two about giving and receiving help; about support systems and true allyship. The grant from the Creator Labs Photo Fund came during a challenging moment of life, and allowed me to continue my ongoing work, and my artistic practice in general. It’s not so much about money, but rather the affirmation it gave me; receiving it felt like a dose of love. I intend to continue to develop my series, Time of the Phoenix, and I hope to be able to multiply this love further, and send it back into the world in shockwaves.”

Xi Li

“Receiving the Creator Labs Photo Fund is a testament to the significance of my work in exploring the process of transformation of images and addressing the fallibility of memory. This support empowers me to delve deeper into the subject and provides motivation to further immerse myself in the studio-based practice, especially during this important transition time after grad school.”

Wesaam Al-Badry