At a time when images are often driven by speed, spectacle, and digital manipulation, the Xposure International Photography Festival 2026 shifts focus back to the human face as a lasting and honest record of truth. As part of the festival’s 10th edition, the People & Portraiture Zone explores portrait photography as a powerful medium for capturing identity, memory, and lived experience with depth and responsibility.
The Zone will be held at Aljada in Sharjah from January 29 to February 4, 2026. It features six exhibitions by photographers working across documentary, cinematic, and research-based practices. Together, the showcased works highlight how portraiture continues to document personal and collective histories, even as the reliability and meaning of images evolve in the digital age.
The participating photographers represent a distinctive blend of specialised approaches within contemporary portraiture. Each artist brings together technical skill, critical inquiry, and cultural storytelling, offering nuanced perspectives on how individuals and communities are seen and remembered.
Among the featured works is Deanne Fitzmaurice’s Horizons of Identity, including the photograph Riding Into Solitude, which depicts Brianna riding alone through open hills with her horse, Dapper Dan. The image reflects themes of independence, strength, and quiet resilience, presenting a reimagined and reflective vision of the American West. Fitzmaurice, a Pulitzer Prize–winning photojournalist, also presents Operation Lion Heart, a long-term project that documents recovery and resilience in post-conflict settings with sensitivity and restraint.
Also Read:
Kausar Tahir: Leading Holistic Support For Women In Perimenopause And Menopause
About Author
