Laia Abril, born in Barcelona in 1986, is a Catalan photographer who earned the National Photography Award in recognition of a project funded by the Ministry of Culture with a prize of 30,000 euros. The jury highlighted the work as an example of artistic research conducted with wide international reach. Abril’s photography centers on women’s issues, including topics like secret abortion and eating disorders. Her method remains intensely personal: she travels, investigates, dedicates time, and carefully crafts each portrait to reveal deeper truths about her subjects.
The result can be provocative and, at times, unsettling, yet it commands attention and invites reflection. Abril draws inspiration from figures such as Sophie Calle and counts Joan Fontcuberta among her mentors. She studied at the International Center of Photography in New York and spent five years in Italy contributing to a renowned magazine. Her project Colors received support from a notable philanthropist, the founder of Benetton.
According to the jury, Abril’s work “gathers information and documents from across the globe, focusing on matters that remain pressing and that socially and politically shape discrimination,” shedding light on both individual and collective suffering that pushes people to the social margins as an anonymous mass.
Abril structures her projects into thematic trilogies that consistently address relevant issues surrounding sexuality, the body, psychology, and women’s rights. The award jury noted that her aim is to challenge social taboos about difference and foster empathy among viewers.
This is evident in series such as On Sexuality, On Eating Disorders, which portrays victims of bulimia, and The History of Misogyny, a stark portrait of clandestine abortion hardships as showcased at the Fotocolectanea gallery in Barcelona. These works illuminate health and human rights topics linked to gender, health care access, and social stigma that persist in many societies, contributing to ongoing global conversations about women’s autonomy and safety.
With a persistent drive to explore the boundaries of femininity, Abril released the photography book Lobismüller six years ago, a work that offers a fresh perspective on femininity and its social constructions. The narrative threads in Abril’s projects also intersect with historical figures and legends; for instance, Romasanta, the historical werewolf of the 19th century, is referenced as part of broader discussions about gender and identity in her broader research, while also inviting a critical look at how history frames abnormality and anomaly.
Abril has published numerous books, including Thinspiration (self-published, 2012), Tediousophilia (Musée de l’Elysée, 2014), and The Epilogue (Dewi Lewis, 2014). Her work has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including international book prizes and notable festival honors such as the Paris Photography Awards, Aperture First Book Award, Kassel Photobook Festival, and PHotoEspaña Best Book Award.
Her photography has been shown in a range of international exhibitions and is housed in both private and public collections, including the Musée de l’Elysée, Fotomuseum Winterthur, the French Regional Fund for Contemporary Art (FRAC), and the National Museum of Art of Catalonia (MNAC). These integrations into major collections underscore Abril’s role as a significant voice in contemporary documentary photography, particularly in the examination of gender, violence, and social justice through visual storytelling.