More than 3,200 works are on display across 95 exhibitions at the annual Xposure International Photography Festival, meaning there is no shortage of visual highlights.
Running until February 4 at Aljada in Sharjah, the festival has images on display from all around the world. They address timely issues, from environmental degradation in Europe and Central Asia to the majestic landscapes of Antarctica.
Organised across 12 thematic zones, spanning portraiture, documentary work, photojournalism, travel and adventure, nature and wildlife and sports, the festival continues to stand out as one of the region’s leading international visual showcases.
Here are 11 photos to not miss.
1. Tyler by Pete Muller (2024)
A portrait of the athlete who competes with a physical disability. Capturing grit and determination without resorting to cliché, Muller’s striking image says more than any motivational speech.
2. Morning Rituals in Athens’ Chinatown by Maro Kouri (2023)
The image offers a look at the merchants of Chinatown in the Greek capital. Set inside a small shop in central Athens, the photograph captures a shopkeeper performing his morning exercises after prayer, while his daughter retreats shyly from view.
3. Untitled (In the Shadow of Noah) by Mustafa Bilge Satkın (2023)
A mosque is shown partially submerged in a reservoir, with only its minaret visible above the waterline. Taken in rural Turkey, Satkın’s photograph stands out for its focus on the physical aftermath of community displacement caused by large-scale infrastructure.
4. A New Home by Smita Sharma (2023)
Photographed inside a shelter in West Bengal, young women receive care after suffering human exploitation. Sharma’s lens maintains distance and restraint to preserve safety and dignity.
5. Aral Sea by Anush Babajanyan (2022)
Taken in the Aral Sea region of Kazakhstan, the photograph shows a hot spring that has emerged on land once covered by water. The image is part of Babajanyan’s wider body of work documenting altered landscapes shaped by ecological change and climate impact.
6. Arctic Volleyball – Eastgrip, Greenland by Lukasz Larsson Warzecha and Ulrika Larsson (2022)
Scientists and crew members are shown playing volleyball at camp in East Greenland, offering a glimpse of camaraderie and routine behind the scenes of scientific expeditions.
7. Family Devotion by Joshua Holko (2021)
Taken in Antarctica during light snowfall, Holko intimately captures two emperor penguins sheltering their chick from freezing temperatures, emphasising care and endurance in one of the world’s harshest environments.
8. Italian Theatre (Italy) by Jean Pierre Rieu (2020)
Rieu captures a decaying Italian theatre, where ornate balconies remain intact while the ceiling and stage have collapsed. Careful compositional balance and natural light reveal architectural detail, guiding the viewer through both splendour and absence.
9. Bus Station by Dmitry Ersler (2019)
Part of Ersler’s wider documentation of provincial Russia, the photograph depicts everyday life unfolding inside a modest transport hub.
10. Spiderman by Giles Clarke (2015)
Taken outside Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the photograph shows 13-year-old Jose wearing a superhero mask while collecting recyclables at a landfill.
11. Labour of Love by Dan Kitwood (2015)
Photographed at the Chimpanzee Conservation Centre in Guinea, a keeper interacts playfully with young chimpanzees during rehabilitation.
Xposure 2026 runs at Aljada, Sharjah, until February 4
