Munem Wasif () (born 11 April 1983) is a photographer from Bangladesh.

Biography

Munem Wasif is a documentary

photographer A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who uses a camera to make photographs. Duties and types of photograp ...

in Bangladesh. He has been represented by Agence Vu since 2008, and is now teaching documentary photography at

Pathshala Drik Picture Library is a photography agency and picture library based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Background Drik Picture Library was established in 1989 by Bangladeshi writer and photographer Shahidul Alam and Bangladeshi writer and anthropolog ...

South Asian Media Academy. He was selected for the

World Press Photo World Press Photo Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Founded in 1955, the organization holds the annual World Press Photo Contest for press photography. Since 2011, World Press Photo has orga ...

Joop Swart Masterclass in 2007. In 2008, he won the City of Perpignan Young Reporter's Award at Visa pour l'image. That year, he also won the International Award for concerned photography, the F25 for under-25's in the Fabrica awards. The following year, he was awarded the

Prix Pictet The Prix Pictet (Pictet prize) is an international award in photography. It was founded in 2008 by the Geneva-based Pictet Group with the mandate to use the power of photography to communicate messages about sustainability to a global audience. Its ...

commission for his work on the water crisis of the north-west region of

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

. His work has been exhibited worldwide, including at the Musée de l'Élysée, and the

Fotomuseum Winterthur Fotomuseum Winterthur is a museum of photography in Winterthur, Switzerland. History The museum was founded in 1993 by photographer George Reinhart, the nephew of the wealthy Swiss art collector Oskar Reinhart. ''Fotomuseum''s exabits are dedicat ...

in Switzerland, the International Photography Biennial of the Islamic World in Iran,

Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography The is an art museum concentrating on photography. As the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, it was founded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and is in Meguro-ku, a short walk from Ebisu station in southwest Tokyo. The museum also ...

in Japan, the

Kunsthal The Kunsthal (; ) is an art space in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It opened in 1992. Overview The museum is situated in the Museumpark of Rotterdam next to the Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam, and in the vicinity of the Museum Boijmans Van Beu ...

Museum and the Noorderlicht festival in the Netherlands, Angkor photo festival in Cambodia, London's

Whitechapel Gallery The Whitechapel Gallery is a public art gallery in Whitechapel on the north side of Whitechapel High Street, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The original building, designed by Charles Harrison Townsend, opened in 1901 as one of the fi ...

, Palais de Tokyo, Visa pour l'image in France, and at

Chobi Mela Chobi Mela () is a biennial international festival of photography held in Dhaka, Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, Bangladesh. Wasif's photographs have been published in ''Le Monde 2'', the ''Sunday Times Magazine'', ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', Politiken, Io Donna, Mare, Du, Days Japan, L'espresso, ''

Libération (), popularly known as ''Libé'' (), is a daily newspaper in France, founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968 in France, May 1968. Initially positioned on the far left of Fr ...

,'' Courier International, Photo, ''

British Journal of Photography The ''British Journal of Photography'' (BJP) is a magazine about photography, published by 1854 Media. It includes in-depth articles, profiles of photographers, analyses, and technological reviews. History The magazine was established in Liverpoo ...

,''

LensCulture ''LensCulture'' is a photography network and online magazine about contemporary photography in art, media, politics, commerce and popular cultures worldwide. It is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. ''LensCulture'' sponsors international photograph ...

Photo District News ''Photo District News'' (or ''PDN'') was an American monthly trade journal, trade publication for professional photographers, published from 1980 to January 2020. The publication took its name from New York City's photo district, an area of photo ...

and

Zonezero ZoneZero is a website dedicated to photography, founded in 1994 by Mexican photographer Pedro Meyer. It first appeared online when the internet became a public resource, making it the oldest still-standing and growing website dedicated to phot ...

. Wasif began his career as a feature photographer for '' The Daily Star'' newspaper, Bangladesh, after graduating from Pathshala. During his residency he told the Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore about his film "Goom" which literary translates in English to "Forced Disappearance" It says "Prompted by recent shifts in the political climate of his own country, Munem Wasif is currently working on a film project titled Goom (forced disappearance, kidnapping in Bangla.)". The work revolves around the increasing phenomenon of people gone missing, disappearances that often remain unexplained and unaccounted for.

Family

Munem Wasif is the son of Bangladeshi politician and lawyer

Abdul Matin Khasru Abdul Matin Khasru (12 February 1950 – 14 April 2021) was a Bangladeshi lawyer and politician. He was a Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Comilla-5 constituency during 1991–1995, 1996–2001 and 2009–2021. He served in the first Hasi ...

Publications

Books by Wasif

* ''Bangladesh Standing on the Edge.'' Paris: CDP, 2008. . With texts by Agnès de Gouvion Saint-Cyr and Christian Caujolle in French and English. * ''Salt Water Tears: Lives Left behind in Satkhira, Bangladesh.'' London: Prix Pictet, 2009. . * ''Larmes salées = Salty Tears.'' Marseille: Images Plurielles, 2011. . With texts by Pavel Partha and Francis Hodgson in French and English. * ''Belonging.'' Paris: Clémentine de la Féronnière, 2013. . With text by Christian Caujolle in French and English.

Books with contributions by Wasif

* ''Under the Banyan Tree.'' Dhaka: Pathshala, 2010. . * ''Street Photography Now.'' London: Thames & Hudson, 2010. .

Grants and awards

* Sagamihara photo Asian Prize by Sagamihara photo festival, Japan. 2010 *

commission on water, France, 2009 * City of Perpignan Young Reporter's Award, Visa pour l'Image, France, 2008 * F25, International Award for concerned photography, Italy, 2008 * 30 emerging photographers by Photo District News, USA, 2008 * Young reporter award by Festival du Scoop of Angers, France, 2008 * Joop Swart Masterclass by World Press Photo, Netherland, 2007