GMB Akash is a compassionate and award-winning photographer from Bangladesh
who dedicates his life to capturing the essence of people living on the edge of
society around the world. Through his lens, he has a unique ability to
translate the raw emotions and human experiences of marginalized and vulnerable
communities into breathtaking visuals.
His photography transcends mere visual representation of poverty, oppression, and social injustice. It serves as a powerful tool for raising awareness and fostering social change. By capturing the beauty and dignity of individuals often ignored or forgotten by society, he inspires us to strive for a more just and equitable world.
GMB Akash’s photography is not only soulful and stirring but also a testament to the resilience and strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. His work has been featured in over 100 major publications, including Vogue, Time, Sunday Times, Newsweek, Geo, Stern, Der Spiegel, The Fader, Brand Eins, The Guardian, Marie Claire, Colors, The Economist, The New Internationalist, Kontinente, Amnesty Journal, Courier International, PDN, Die Zeit, Days Japan, Hello, and the Sunday Telegraph of London.
His photographs have been exhibited worldwide, with solo exhibitions in Bangladesh, Laos, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, New York, Charleston (S.C.), Qatar, the Maldives, Finland, France, the Czech Republic, and Greece.
He has received more than 100 international photography awards and recognitions. Notably, in 2002, he became the first Bangladeshi selected for the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass in the Netherlands. He was also the first Bangladeshi to receive the Young Reporters Award 2004 at the Scope Photo Festival in Paris. In 2005, he was awarded ‘Best of Show’ at the Center for Fine Art Photography's international competition in Colorado, USA. In 2006, he won the World Press Photo award and released his first book, FIRST LIGHT. He was again the first Bangladeshi selected for the PDN 30 (30 Emerging Photographers), sponsored by Photo District News Magazine, USA. In Switzerland, he won the 7th Vevey International Photography 2009 Grant. He was awarded the international ‘Travel Photographer of the Year’ 2009 (TPOY 2009) in the UK, the most prestigious award in travel photography. In 2011, Nikon selected GMB Akash as one of the 8 ‘influencers’ in Asia Pacific.
In 2012, he presented the results of his 10-year project Survivors, with proceeds from the publication supporting the subjects in establishing their own small businesses and becoming self-sufficient. This was his second book; he also published his first book, FIRST LIGHT.
He founded the GMB Akash Institute of Photography in Bangladesh in 2013, teaching students from around the world. The proceeds from his photography workshops support basic education for street children, underprivileged talented students, and child laborers.
GMB Akash has been invited to speak and present his work at the 2008 Fifth Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Norway. He has delivered six TEDx talks, including TEDxOporto 2011 in Portugal as the first Bangladeshi to speak at a TEDx event. He was subsequently invited to TEDxHyderabad 2017 and TEDxYouth 2019 at Sir John Wilson School in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was also invited to the 7th Forum of Emerging Leaders in Asian Journalism in 2017, Indonesia. At the National Geographic Exodus Fest in Portugal, he spoke, exhibited, and gave a master class. He was the featured speaker at FINE ART TALKS in Malé, Republic of Maldives, at the FE AUDITORIUM of The Maldives National University (MNU) in 2019. He was a plenary session speaker at the QATAR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE in Doha in October 2019 and also conducted a workshop.
Various international photography contests have selected GMB Akash to be on their jury, including the Friends of the Earth International Photo Competition (Netherlands), Fine Art Photography Awards 2017 (UK), Worldwide Photography Gala Award (UK), UNESCO Silk Road Photography Contest 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 (France), Siena 2015 International Photography Awards (Italy), Urban Photo Award 2015, 2023, 2024 (Italy), VOUBS International Photography Awards 2016 (Italy), Humanity Photo Award 2017 (China), Visions International Photo Awards 2021 (France), World Water Day Photo Contest 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 (Italy), The Al-Hawar Photography Award 2022 (Iraq), Chromatic International Photo Contest 2023, 2024 (UK), Martial Arts Photo Contest in South Korea 2024, Rome Photo Lab International Photography Contest (Italy) 2024, KAAF International Photo Contest (Iran) 2024, and many more.