The photograph "Blue" from the "Hidden Colors" series is featured in the Abstract Photography exhibition as part of the Aesthetica Art Prize 2026. The exhibition is being held at the York Art Gallery from July 17 to November 15.
For generations, artists and photographers have challenged the way we see the world. Through techniques such as cropping, extreme close-ups, motion blur, experimental lighting and digital manipulation, familiar subjects are transformed into compositions of colour, texture and shape. Throughout the 20th century, figures including Man Ray, László Moholy-Nagy, Wolfgang Tillmans and Barbara Kasten pushed photography beyond its documentary function, embracing abstraction as a creative language. In this selection, we highlight five artists longlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize 2026 who continue that spirit of experimentation. Each explores the possibilities of material, process and form to produce striking works.
Aesthetica Art Prize
