For our June edition of Format Picks, we asked artists to submit art portfolio inspired by travel. The results were hundreds of incredible images documenting journeys all around the globe, from Hong Kong to Berlin, Indonesia to Chile.
Winners Chris Penso and Iggy Smalls stood out for their eye-catching photos of travels in Nepal and Spain, but so much other stellar work was submitted. We’re sharing some of our favorite picks here.
These images capture the feeling of discovering a new place, from getting lost in a crowded city to hiking in a quiet natural space. As photographer Michelle Asci says of her photo depicting a peaceful moment during an Icelandic trip, “These are the types of moments you can only experience when you put yourself out of your comfort zone, and open yourself to everything the country has to offer.”
Tara Liondaris
“This shot was taken in Hong Kong at the famous Choi Hung Estate, one of the oldest and most famous public housing estates in Hong Kong, today well known for its rainbow-colored homes. Located in the Wong Tai Sin District of Kowloon, the estate houses over 18,000 people, and is reminiscent of Hong Kong’s dense high rise housing estates. Even though Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, and this shot is extremely popular with photographers, I managed to capture an empty forecourt.”
Oly Steel
“Image taken on the border between Chile and Bolivia. The road leads to San Pedro De Atacama and sits over 2000m above sea level.”
Katja Gendikova
“My picture is about experiencing things, even if the water is too cold.”
Michelle Asci
“Every year my work expands by traveling to new countries and capturing the varying landscapes and culture of the country. This work was taken in Iceland during a 10-day road trip around the entire country. After hiking a short distance to Seljavallalaug Pool there was a moment of peacefulness from being in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mountains, and experiencing something unique with other fellow travelers. These are the types of moments you can only experience when you put yourself out of your comfort zone, and open yourself to everything the country has to offer.”
Alexa Quinn
“I recently took a trip back to Arizona to explore some very popular sight-seeing destinations. To my surprise, I found myself documenting more than just the breathtaking views. I became more fascinated with the tourists than the destination itself. Places like these bring so many walks of life together in one beautiful place.”
Sofia Drescher
“The inescapable bureaucratic loophole illustrated! During my stay in Indonesia, as a non-resident I was periodically obliged to leave the country to ‘reset the clock’ and extend my visa. These excursions are known locally as ‘visa runs.’ This drawing is an example of my recently released book Visa Run published by Cafe Royal Books. The book documents my adventures in Thailand and Vietnam.”
Owen Richards
“This photograph of the Skytree in Tokyo was taken whilst travelling around Japan. I wanted to discover a side of Tokyo that was not in the guide books. I was told about a cafe in an area called Sumida. When I got there I discovered an old residential area full of old shops and food markets. That is what travelling is about for me, to discover the unexpected.”
Tien Tran
“A Tale of Forgotten Lands (from which the picture is taken) is the result of one year of errand spent between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan doing nothing but photographing. This series tries to reflect the feeling of freedom and loneliness, the open doors and the closed doors, the indecent amount of vodka ingested in the depths of the Kazakh steppes, the nights near the fire in the Kyrgyz mountains, the weight of existence in places we do not know at all.”
Chia Ying Lin
“Turkish Market in Kreuzberg, Berlin, opened on every Tuesday and Friday. Most of the vendors are selling vegetables and fruits, others are accessories, fish and meat, cheese and all kinds of sauces. From mid-April to mid-May, it was the season of asparagus, and after that comes the strawberries. Also there are watermelons, pineapples, and mangos. Summer is the time for the feast of fruits and happy faces. I was traveling in Berlin in the early summer this year. I liked to sit in the coffee shop at the corner of the street and watch the busy life. There were endless customers coming in the shop. People greeted each other from time to time: ‘Tschüss!’ ‘Have a nice day!’ ‘Ciao!’ The flow of the city is always fascinating to me.”
See more from past Format Picks editions:
How 10 Artists See the Environment Around Them
How 10 Artists See The City
How 20 Artists See Themselves
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