Artist Résumé
Aidan Murgatroyd completed his Honours Degree in Visual Communication in 2021 at the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography, graduating with distinction. The series he produced Becoming South African was selected as a world finalist for the Sony World Photography student awards. His conceptual image titled Lucid Dreams was selected as a finalist for South Africa’s local Loerie awards as well as his series D’nokasi Fashion Shoot. His work for the Becoming South African project was also shortlisted by the Siena international photographic awards, as well as the portraits Isibaya and Junkyard. Aidan’s work has been featured in a number of publications, most recently his work was featured in the The Journal of The Royal Photographic Society vol 162 no 3 titled, “Six young photographers to watch”, May/June 2022.
With regards to the style and goal of his work Aidan explains, “Growing up I was fortunate enough to travel the world extensively, having lived in various parts of Africa, the Middle East as well as North America. This instilled an extraordinary fascination with hybrid identities, cultures and societies which I document through my work. With the onset of globalisation the world is more interconnected than ever, how does this shape the differences and similarities in the cultures and peoples of the world?”
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Education
2020 - BA Visual Communication, Double Major in Photography & Graphic Design, Open Window Institute, Gauteng, South Africa.
2021 - BA Honours Visual Communication, Major in Photography (Graduated with Distinction), Stellenbosch Academy of Design & Photography, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa.
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Awards
2021 - Finalist: Loerie Awards for Lucid Dreams conceptual photograph
2021 - Finalist: Loerie Awards for D’nokasi Fashion Shoot body of work.
2022 - World Finalist: Sony World Photography Awards Student Competition for Becoming South African body of work.
2022 - Image of the Month February: Sony World Photography Organisation for the image Lying in Wait, of the Becoming South African project.
2022 - Siena International Photographic Awards: Becoming South African project shortlisted.
2022 - Siena International Photographic Awards: Isibaya image shortlisted for portraiture category.
2022 - Siena International Photographic Awards:Junkyard image shortlisted for portraiture category.
2022 - Finalist: Loerie Awards for Becoming South African body of work.
2022 - Shortlist: Royal Photographic Society International Photographic Exhibition 164.
2024 - Foto Slovo International Awards: Time’s Relentless Melt 3rd place winner for fine art series.
2025 - Royal Photographic Society International Photographic Exhibition 166: Selected as an exhibitor at Saatchi Gallery, London.
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Press
Harry Guinness, “The best student and youth photographers of 2022”, Popular Photography 24 Jan 2022.
“Sony World Photography Awards Student Finalists Announced”, Aesthetica Magazine, January 2022.
"Explore the IPE 166 Shortlist", Royal Photographic Society, International Photographic Exhibition 166, October 2024.
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Publications
Marika Magazine “Habits and Contradictions in Covid”, issue 108 August 2020.
Marika Magazine “Lonely Diamond”, issue 111 - Portrait - August 2020.
Journal “Six young photographers to watch”, The Journal of The Royal Photographic Society, Vol 162/No 3 rps.org, May/June 2022.
Book Sony World Photography Awards 2022
Newsletter Duncan Miller Gallery’s Your Daily Photograph 2023
Vero News room creator stories and platform feature, 16th May 2024.
Business Insider I'm a tech startup founder. We weed out job applications written with ChatGPT by hiding a prompt just for AI in our listings. Corporate Portraiture by Aidan Murgatroyd.
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Exhibitions
2021 Group Exhibition Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography Graduate Exhibition, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
2022 Group Exhibition, Sony World Photography Awards Somerset House, London, United Kingdom
2022 Group Exhibition, Sony World Photography Awards virtual exhibition
2024 Group Exhibition, Ripples 2nd Annual Community Art Event, UC Law San Francisco.
2024 Digital Group Exhibition, Foto Slovo International Awards: Fine art gallery.
2025 International Photography Exhibition 166, Saatchi Gallery London, 4th August - September 16.