Profile

” Today, I count myself blessed, having become a photographer. To be able  to articulate the experiences of  the voiceless,   to bring their identity to the forefront, gives meaning and purpose to my own life ” – Gmb Akash

Bangladeshi Photographer GMB Akash’s passion for photography began in 1996. As a young man he became fascinated with the interpersonal relationships he was able to develop with his subjects through the lens of his camera. Growing up in a developing country filled with millions of impoverished people and abused children, GMB Akash had access to the darkest corner of the world for which he was passionate. But at some point he realized that just effectively reporting the human rights injustices through his images was not enough. He wanted to find ways to help the subjects of abuse and suffering in his photographs as well. He writes,

“I repeatedly asked myself then what changes my photos brought to their life? Yes as a photojournalist it is my duty to tell the truth but beside that as a human being we all have responsibilities. Then I decided to dedicate my 10 years project ‘Survivors’ in their name and for their changes.”

Awards:

As a multimedia Journalist GMB Akash has traveled intensively in 25 countries and received more than

80 international awards.

• 2002: The first Bangladeshi to be selected for the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass in

the Netherlands

• 2004 The first Bangladeshi to wing The Young Reporters Award from the Scope Photo Festival in

Paris

• 2005: “Best of Show” Center for Fine Art Photography’s International completion, Colorado,

USA.

• 2006: World Press Photo Award

• 2007The first Bangladeshi to be selected for the 30 Emerging Photographers (PDN 30)

sponsored by Photo District New Magazine, USA.

• 2009: The 7th

• 2009: Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOY 2009), UK

Vevey international Photography Swiss Grant

Publications:

His work has been featured in over 90 major international publications including:

National Geographic, Vogue, Time, The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, The Sunday

Times, Newsweek, Geo, Stern, Der Spiegel, The Fader, Brand Ein, The Guardian, Marie Claire, Colors, The

Economist, The New Internationalist, Kontinente, Amnesty Journal, Courier International, PDN, Die Zeit,

Days Japan, Hello, and Sunday Telegraph of London.

Books:

• 2006: “First Light: the Photography of GMB Akash”

• 2012 or 2011?: “Survivors” Photography Book 10 year project self-published to raise funds for the impovered subjects in the book. Reviewed in GEO Magazine.

Presentations:

GMB Akash uses his talent, his perseverance and his camera to communicate through the extraordinary images he takes: those injustices that most people do not want to acknowledge. More than a photojournalist, GMB Akash goes much further than simply informing and provoking societies with his exceptional photographic gift. He takes concrete action to improve the lives of the impoverished and the abused. This is his life mission. He speaks for the voiceless through his photography and his two
published photography books as well as spreads the word of the situation of the poor, uneducated and abused at many conferences to which he has been invited around the world. He is most focused on changing the situation of child abuse in Bangladesh and creating awareness of this problem that exists around the world.

• 2008: The Fifth Global Investigative Journalism Conference, Lillehammer, Norway

• 2011: TEDxOporto, Portugal. The first Bangladeshi in a TED Talk on “Survivors” and those subjects in the book that he is trying to find and change their lives.

• 2012 Key note speaker at The 7th Indonesia

• 2011: Nikon Eight Influencers in Asia pacific (APAC region)

• 2012: UNICEF NIGHT Dutch Television presentation of the self-published “Survivors” photographybook to raise awareness and eventual funds for the subjects.

• 2013: Key note speaker and panelist together with Jens Schröder, Vice Editor in Chief of the magazine GEO and Wolfgang Krach (Süddeutsche Zeitung) at The Power of Pictures, Hamburg, Germany.

• 2013: Keynote speaker and participant at MEDIA TRENDS 2013Webster University, Geneva, Switzerland

• 2013: Co-guest speaker along with Swiss photographer, René Burri at LuganoPhotoDays in Lugano, Switzerland.

Forum of Emerging leaders in Asian Journalism, Yogyakarta,

Exhibitions:

Solo Exhibitions from 2006 to 2014 Bangladesh, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, NewYork, N.Y. USA, Charleston, S.C., USA.

Founder of FIRST LIGHT INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY, Narayangonj, Bangladesh. In Aguust of 2013, GMB Akash founded this photography school with the ultimate objective of providing basic education for street children, child sex workers, and child laborers from the proceeds from teaching photography in workshops and seminars for aspiring young photographers at reasonable tuition.