Antanas Sutkus
Antanas Sutkus is a celebrated Lithuanian photographer known for his deeply humanistic and evocative portraits. Born in 1939, in Kluoniškiai, Lithuania, Sutkus’s journey into photography began in childhood when he purchased his first camera with money earned digging peat with his mother. After starting his career as a photojournalist, he became an independent photographer in 1968, dedicating his work to documenting the lives of ordinary people under Soviet rule.
Influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson, he sought to “draw a psychological portrait of contemporary man”. His most notable project, People of Lithuania, offers an in-depth look at the changing lives and identities of the Lithuanian people. Sutkus’s photography often stood in contrast to the idealized figures promoted by Soviet propaganda, focusing instead on real, everyday people.
In 1965, Sutkus gained international recognition for his iconic portraits of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir during their visit to Lithuania. His photograph of Sartre on the dunes of the Curonian Spit became a defining image, highlighting Sutkus’s ability to capture the humanity of even the most famous intellectuals.
A committed advocate for photography as an art form, Sutkus co-founded the Photography Art Society of Lithuania in 1969, where he served as president. This organization played a key role in elevating the status of Lithuanian photography on the international stage. His work is housed in prestigious collections worldwide, including the Lithuanian Museum of Art in Vilnius, the National Library and Museum of French Photography in Paris, the International Center of Photography in New York, the Museum of Photography in Helsinki, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Sutkus’s achievements have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts, the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, and the Dr. Erich Salomon Award for journalistic photography. He was awarded the Erna & Victor Hasselblad Foundation Grant in 2001–2002 for the documentation and preservation of his photographic archive and was nominated for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize in 2011. In 2015, he was honored with the French Order of Arts and Letters for his contribution to French culture.
Antanas Sutkus’s work continues to inspire through its timeless emotional depth, capturing the beauty and complexity of human life. His photographs, filled with pathos, romance, and humanity, have left an indelible mark on the history of photography and continue to influence generations of photographers and artists.
Influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson, he sought to “draw a psychological portrait of contemporary man”. His most notable project, People of Lithuania, offers an in-depth look at the changing lives and identities of the Lithuanian people. Sutkus’s photography often stood in contrast to the idealized figures promoted by Soviet propaganda, focusing instead on real, everyday people.
In 1965, Sutkus gained international recognition for his iconic portraits of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir during their visit to Lithuania. His photograph of Sartre on the dunes of the Curonian Spit became a defining image, highlighting Sutkus’s ability to capture the humanity of even the most famous intellectuals.
A committed advocate for photography as an art form, Sutkus co-founded the Photography Art Society of Lithuania in 1969, where he served as president. This organization played a key role in elevating the status of Lithuanian photography on the international stage. His work is housed in prestigious collections worldwide, including the Lithuanian Museum of Art in Vilnius, the National Library and Museum of French Photography in Paris, the International Center of Photography in New York, the Museum of Photography in Helsinki, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Sutkus’s achievements have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts, the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, and the Dr. Erich Salomon Award for journalistic photography. He was awarded the Erna & Victor Hasselblad Foundation Grant in 2001–2002 for the documentation and preservation of his photographic archive and was nominated for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize in 2011. In 2015, he was honored with the French Order of Arts and Letters for his contribution to French culture.
Antanas Sutkus’s work continues to inspire through its timeless emotional depth, capturing the beauty and complexity of human life. His photographs, filled with pathos, romance, and humanity, have left an indelible mark on the history of photography and continue to influence generations of photographers and artists.
Former judges
Duane Michals
Edward Fella
Fritz Gottschalk
Gerald Scarfe
Graciela Iturbide
Henry Steiner
Maciej Hibner
Nobuyoshi Araki
Seymour Chwast
Tom Geismar
William Klein
Edward Fella
Fritz Gottschalk
Gerald Scarfe
Graciela Iturbide
Henry Steiner
Maciej Hibner
Nobuyoshi Araki
Seymour Chwast
Tom Geismar
William Klein