logo

ZL

Zewen Lai

Malleable Souls

Malleable Souls explores the fragile states of identity in transition, drawing from psychology and photography. Inspired by Jung’s word-association experiments, the portraits depict teenagers by the sea — a symbolic threshold — tracing subtle shifts where the unconscious quietly shapes who we are.

Awards

Photographer of the Year Contest

2025

Discovery of the Year

Portrait

Non Professional

Discovery of the Year

People

Non Professional

Malleable Souls

Malleable Souls explores the fragile states of identity in transition, drawing from psychology and photography. Inspired by Jung’s word-association experiments, the portraits depict teenagers by the sea — a symbolic threshold — tracing subtle shifts where the unconscious quietly shapes who we are.

About Artist

Zewen Lai

My work explores the malleability and suspended state of adolescence, using analogue portraiture to capture identities caught between childhood and adulthood. Malleable Souls portrays teenagers in small Scottish towns with a neutral gaze influenced by Thomas Ruff, while subtle cracks of unease emerge beneath the surface. The surrounding landscapes act as psychological extensions of the sitters, recalling Rineke Dijkstra’s approach. Working with medium and large format film slows the process, turning the portrait into more than documentation — it becomes a space where identity is shaped between surface and depth, solitude and connection.

Photographic Areas of Focus

Film/Analog, People, People

Location

United Kingdom

Explore Other Winners

View All
Nominee

PL

Peng Lei

People

Nominee +1
Joseph Hon Chow Lai

Joseph Hon Chow Lai

Street

Nominee +2
Edward Matthews

Edward Matthews

Photojournalism

Nominee +1
Roger Chen

Roger Chen

Storytelling

logo

Contests

Info

FAQ & RulesTerms of UsePrivacy Policy

Links

Facebook

Instagram

Contact Us

© Creative Resource Collective, LLC 2025. All Rights Reserved.

1839 Awards is managed by Creative Resource Collective, LLC.

Learn More

Creative Resource Collective, LLC.