The esteemed Sony World Photography Awards 2024 has recently listed Siobhán Doran, an accomplished Irish photographer, among its overall winners. The announcement was made in London, and it came courtesy of the World Photography Association, which organised the awards. In the architecture and design category, Ms Doran clinched the top spot.
Her award-winning project was a collection of photographs that became part of a book, vividly titled ‘Houses that Sugar Built: An Intimate Portrait of Philippine Ancestral Homes’. She was granted the opportunity to explore and photograph heritage properties, framing them against the conversations of the owner or conservator but sometimes working amidst perfect silence. The photographs mostly featured the main living room, or sala mayor, aiming to capture the essence of the architecture and the people’s lifestyle, while still leaving room for the viewers to form their own interpretations.
Siobhán Doran, after her architectural technology studies at the Limerick Institute of Technology, spent a significant part of her career, 16 years to be precise, in London as an architectural designer. Her work involved both aspects related to period architecture and contemporary commercial infrastructure.
Her portfolios boast several major projects including creating limited-edition books that document the revamping and rebuilding of two eminent London hotels – The Savoy and The Lanesborough. Furthermore, she excels in creating photographic artwork, including landscapes and seascapes.
The Sony World Photography Awards 2024 is showcasing her work along with other remarkable images from finalists and shortlisted entries. This exhibit is open to the public at Somerset House, London, commencing on the 19th of April.
This awards event, in its 17th iteration, acknowledges some of the finest photography worldwide and appreciates images and narratives that have left a lasting impact on the international community throughout the previous year.