From the raw testimony of domestic abuse survivors to the quiet resilience of climate migrants and the hidden havoc of cholesterol, this year’s Wellcome Photography Prize winners offer a striking visual meditation on how science and health shape the human experience.
Announced at a ceremony held at London’s Francis Crick Institute, the 2025 prize celebrates three compelling image-makers — Sujata Setia, Mithail Afrige Chowdhury, and Steve Gschmeissner — each awarded £10,000 for their standout work. Now in its 28th year, the Wellcome Photography Prize continues its mission to spotlight the intersection of health, science, and storytelling through exceptional photography.
“These winning works stood out not just for their technical excellence, but for the empathy, collaboration, and deep social engagement they embody,” said Lara Clements, Associate Director of Engagement at Wellcome. “They remind us that health is not just biological — it’s social, political, cultural, and personal.”
Domestic Abuse and Generational Trauma: A Thousand Cuts
Winner of the storytelling series category, UK-based artist Sujata Setia’s A Thousand Cuts is a powerful collaboration with survivors of domestic abuse within South Asian communities. Using a blend of portraiture, testimony, and traditional Indian sanjhi paper-cutting, Setia creates images that protect anonymity while preserving identity. The series, developed in partnership with the UK charity SHEWISE, gives voice to stories often hidden in plain sight — of forced marriage, psychological scars, and the legacy of gendered violence.
“Domestic abuse isn’t a singular event — it leaves an imprint that stretches across generations,” said Setia, herself a survivor. “This recognition isn’t just for my work; it’s for the invisible scars carried by millions. It’s a call to include domestic abuse in our understanding of global health crises.”
Climate Migration in a Rooftop Picnic: Urban Travel
The striking solo photography prize went to Bangladeshi street photographer Mithail Afrige Chowdhury for Urban Travel — a deceptively serene image of a mother and daughter enjoying a rooftop picnic in Dhaka. As climate migration swells the city’s population and green spaces disappear, this simple act becomes a statement of adaptation and care.
“This moment reignited something I thought I’d lost,” said Chowdhury, who had stepped back from photography due to personal struggles. “To be recognised for an image born out of love and displacement — it gives me purpose again.”
Chowdhury’s work, rooted in the everyday lives of Bangladeshi people, has documented everything from Rohingya refugees to urban water crises. His photograph captures not just environmental urgency, but the quiet emotional labor of parenting under pressure.
Microscopic Beauty and Hidden Danger: Cholesterol in the Liver
In the Marvels of Scientific and Medical Imaging category, UK-based science photographer Steve Gschmeissner was honoured for Cholesterol in the Liver, a colourised scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image that transforms biology into art. The image reveals cholesterol crystals (in blue) forming inside liver cells (in purple) — a silent process that can lead to heart disease and stroke.
“It’s thrilling to see microscopy recognised as not just data, but art,” said Gschmeissner, whose five-decade career includes over 10,000 published images across journals, stamps, and even fashion runways. “This award is one of the highlights of my life’s work.”
Gschmeissner’s image is a vivid reminder of the beauty and danger that coexist at the cellular level — and of the public’s growing appetite for scientific imagery that both informs and inspires.
The top 25 finalists, selected from submissions spanning over 100 countries, are now on display at the Wellcome Photography Prize 2025 exhibition, free and open to the public at the Francis Crick Institute in London until October 18, 2025.
