Christopher Owens’ portrait of a young dancer in Newcastle’s West end is one of 57 works set to go on display as part of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition
Portrait of young dancer, Abe, looking over the West End of Newcastle(Image: Christopher Owens)
A Newcastle photographer has secured a place in one of the world’s most prestigious photography exhibitions at London’s National Portrait Gallery. Christopher Owens, 43, beat photographers from 51 countries to have his portrait selected for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition.
The prize, which is worth £15,000 to the overall winner, is considered the god standard for contemporary portrait photography globally. Christopher’s photograph is one of just 57 works selected from the exhibition, out of 5,910 entries from photographers around the world.
His portrait captures 11-year-old ballroom dancer Abe in a moment of quiet reflection at a Newcastle dance studio window, gazing out over the city’s West End. Abe said: “Never ever did I think the National Portrait Gallery would have a picture of me in it.
“It’s exciting because it proves boys can dance and we don’t all have to play football like the stereotype. It’s good for that to be recognised!”
The photograph of Abe will be on display at the National Portrait Gallery from November 2025 until February 8, 2026, with the exhibition expected to welcome more than 35,000 visitors.
Christopher, who lives in Fenham, said: “It’s a huge honour to have my work recognised by the judges and to be included in the exhibition. The prize and exhibition are one of – if not the most – respected and prestigious collections of contemporary photographic portraiture and to be amongst that is hugely exciting.”
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Over the past two decades, Christopher has photographed a number of high profile figures, including politicians and athletes. Speaking about working in the North East, he said: “The North East is such a fantastic place to practice as a creative, and it’s important that practitioners from areas outside of the traditionally recognised creative hubs are acknowledged in competitions and exhibitions like this.
“There are great strides that have been made in recent years, but still much work to do to recognise that places like the North East have fantastic talent in creative industries, which are on par with elsewhere nationally and globally.”
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