INFORMATION
Artist Statement
Owen Emerson Prucey is an 18-year-old self-taught photographer based in Pittsburgh. His work aims to capture memories that we hold onto, the isolating spaces we get stuck in, and the fragile connections that pull us back towards each other through the use of a variety of photographic styles. He loves incorporating both monochrome and color into his photographic work. Monochrome allows him to fully dive into emotion without distraction. The use of color in his work comes in when the world insists on it.
Being Japanese American is a significant aspect that shapes his perspective within the artistic space of photography. Often feeling suspended “in between” cultures, he developed a way of seeing things from both the inside and out. He wants his work to question himself and anyone who sees it. As he grows, he plans to use photography to address social issues that deserve more than brief headlines — topics such as displacement, confinement, inequality, and climate change. His long-term goal is to join Magnum Photos and ultimately become a person whose photographic work is one of the most recognized.
Selected Awards & Recognition
- Editorial Feature – Lenscratch (“2026 LOVE Exhibition”) – 2nd Photo in Exhibition - (2026)
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Editorial Feature – Lenscratch (“2026 New Beginnings Exhibition”) - (2026)
- Editorial Feature – Lenscratch (“Favorite Photograph of 2025”) - (2026)
- Monochrome Photography Awards — Two Honorable Mentions (Conceptual & Street) - (2026)
- Editorial Feature – Lenscratch (“2025 What I’m Thankful For Exhibition”) - (2025)
- International Photography Awards (IPA) — 16 Official Selections, 11 Honorable Mentions (7 in Fine Art) - (2025)
- Blurb Books “The Edit: Sequencing” Workshop — Selected participant for curated workshop on sequencing and visual storytelling - (2025)
- Divide Magazine, Issue 16 — Three photographs selected for publication - (2025)
- reFocus World Photo Annual — Two Honorable Mentions (Portraiture & Photojournalism) - (2025)
- Architecture Photography Awards — Five finalist certificates - (2025)
- Porsche (Official Channels) — Photography feature - (2024)
- Scholastic Art & Writing Awards — Two Honorable Mentions - (2024)
- Drexel University High School Photo Competition — One Honorable Mention - (2024)
Exhibitions
- (Forthcoming), Selected Artist, Mayo Clinic Loaned Artwork Program (Scottsdale/Phoenix, AZ, 2026)
- Drexel University, Juried Group Exhibition (Philadelphia, 2024)
- Scholastic Awards Exhibition, Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, 2024)
Professional Experience
Pittsburgh Media Partnership – Freelance Photographer — Invited contributor connecting with 35+ regional media outlets for editorial/documentary work (2025–Present)
Guidance & Critical Feedback
Mustafah Abdulaziz, Bill Shapiro, Stephen Shore, Alex & Rebecca Norris Webb, Virginia Heckert