Zed Nelson was born in Uganda in 1968 and grew up in Hackney, East London, where he traded football cards for rolls of film and dreamed of capturing the world through his lens. Photography quickly became his passport, taking him from graffiti-splashed alleys to tropical beaches and sprawling megacities. Every project shares one goal: showing how we live now ? and how we might live better.
That vision drives “The Anthropocene Illusion,” the series that earned Nelson the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards’ Photographer of the Year title. The project, created over six years and spanning four continents, presents staged, picturesque scenes ? a lavish picnic on cliffs overlooking a vast jungle, vibrant fish swimming under pipes ? that only emphasize human encroachment on nature. Nelson examines how people increasingly curate artificial experiences of the natural world even as they contribute to its decline.
Nelson’s work has been exhibited internationally at renowned venues, including Tate Britain, the ICA, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Nelson sees his latest award as “fuel to keep asking big questions.” His advice for young creatives is simple: go outside, watch, listen, and photograph what makes your heart race. Creativity, he believes, is the first seed of change.
May For The Teen Times teen/1746585075/1613367679
1. What is the title of the series that earned Nelson the 2025 Sony award?
2. How many years did Nelson spend working on “The Anthropocene Illusion”?
3. Where has Nelson’s work been displayed?
4. What advice does Nelson give to young creatives?
1. What message do you think Nelson wants to share through his latest series?
2. Do you think artificial experiences of nature are a problem? Why or why not?
3. Have you ever taken a photo that told a story? What was it?
4. Why do you think Nelson’s work is shown in famous museums?
Zed Nelson was born in Uganda in 1968 and grew up in Hackney, East London, where he traded football cards for rolls of film and dreamed of capturing the world through his lens. Photography quickly became his passport, taking him from graffiti-splashed alleys to tropical beaches and sprawling megacities. Every project shares one goal: showing how we live now ? and how we might live better.
