Anadolu Hayat Emeklilik celebrated the 2026 edition of ‘Scenes from Life Through a Woman’s Eyes’ on 16 June with an awards ceremony held aboard İş Vapur in Istanbul. Recognised as Turkey’s only photography competition created exclusively for women, the long-running event reached its 20th year while continuing to bring women’s visual interpretations of life to a wider audience.
This year, the competition drew remarkable interest under the theme ‘About Life’. A total of 2,262 women photographers submitted 7,615 photographs, making 2026 a record year for participation. After the evaluation process, 46 works were selected for awards and exhibition. The winning and featured photographs can be viewed at Tepe Nautilus until 3 July.
A 20-Year Platform for Women’s Perspectives
The ceremony was hosted by Didem Makaskesen, Deputy General Manager of Anadolu Hayat Emeklilik. In her remarks, she emphasized that the event was not only a celebration of this year’s successful works, but also a tribute to a meaningful 20-year journey built around making women’s perspectives more visible through art.
Makaskesen underlined that the competition was launched with the goal of carrying women’s stories to broader audiences through photography. She noted that the initiative has continued to generate social and cultural value while maintaining its distinct identity as a women-focused photography competition in Turkey.
Reflecting on the broader impact of the event, she stated that over the last two decades, more than 32,000 women photographers have participated and contributed over 118,000 photographs. According to her, each image has served as a unique narrative, presenting life through women’s individual experiences and viewpoints. She also described the competition as more than an art event, calling it a dedicated space for women’s self-expression.
2026 Award Winners
The first prize was awarded to İlham Kazdal for the photograph ‘Bulmaca’. Second prize went to Ayşe Eslem Aydın for ‘Rengarenk Gülümse’, while third prize was presented to Gülsün İnan for ‘Momentum’.
In the honourable mention category, awards were given to Afet Şener for ‘Dancing with Fire’, Belma Arslan for ‘Absence’, and Berrin Kahraman for ‘The Soil Workers’.
Among the special category awards, the Environmental Sustainability Award was presented to Canan Yıldırım Sayak for ‘First Encounter’. The 20th Anniversary Special Award went to Pınar Ergül Bayram for the photograph ‘The Digital Age’.
Jury and Exhibition Details
The competition was organised under the guidance of the Turkish Federation of Photographic Arts (TFSF). The 2026 jury included Emeritus Prof. Dr Güler Ertan, photographer İzzet Keribar, Prof. Dr Nihal Kafalı from the Department of Photography at Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, Burak Şenbak from the TFSF Executive Board, and Tuğba Öcal, Head of Corporate Communications at Anadolu Hayat Emeklilik.
With its 20th edition, the competition once again reaffirmed its role as an important cultural platform where women’s stories, observations, and artistic voices are brought into focus through photography. The exhibition at Tepe Nautilus offers visitors the opportunity to see the selected works firsthand through 3 July.
