Holocaust Memorial Day Trust announces winners of Extra Ordinary Portraits contest

The winners of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s (HMDT) ExtraOrdinary Portraits competition have been unveiled in a new exhibition in Parliament.

In partnership with The Royal Drawing School, HMDT asked young people (25 and under) to create portraits of someone affected by the Holocaust, genocide or identity-based persecution.

The judging panel included top photographer Rankin, HMDT CEO Olivia Marks-Woldman, Rwandan genocide survivor and university chaplain Antoinette Mutabazi, HMDT Trustee Tulip Siddiq MP, and acclaimed young portraitist Gideon Summerfield.

The judges picked 30 portraits for a new digital exhibition, which will also feature in the national online ceremony for Holocaust Memorial Day 2023.

The exhibition in parliament features two competition entries alongside five portraits of Holocaust and other genocide survivors taken by Rankin himself.

Marks-Woldman said: “We are delighted that Mr Speaker has chosen to host this exhibition in the heart of parliament. As we reflect on this year’s theme for Holocaust Memorial Day, Ordinary People, it is fitting that these extraordinary images will now be displayed for the country’s decision makers to see.”

The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said: “This exhibition is a powerful statement that the United Kingdom will always remember the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust and more recent genocides. Itprompts us to learn the lessons of the past and recognise that genocide does not just take place on its own – it is a process which can begin if discrimination, racism, and hatred are not checked and prevented.”

Tulip Siddiq MP said: “This was an important opportunity to engage young people with the Holocaust, genocide and identity-based persecution, and it was amazing to see the thought that they put into their portraits.”

The Hampstead and Kilburn MP selected an entry by Walid Yasir, who survived the genocide in Darfur for a prestigious Judges’ Favourite Award. Walid, who completed a self-portrait, said “I am a survivor of persecution, war and state-sanctioned violence. I am from Blue Nile, Sudan. […] This was a difficult project for me, the creation of my first-ever self-portrait, but I wanted to join this competition to show the world who I am.”

Competition entrant Jacob Venit, aged 17, produced a portrait of Nisad ‘Šiško’ Jakupović, who survived the genocide in Bosnia.

Jacob said: “As a Jewish person, I find it horrific that genocides like these continue to take place. Lessons never seem to be learned by the evil people who persecute minorities; the parallels between these events are so striking.”

The online exhibition is now viewable here.