Photo Museum Ireland is delighted to announce the recipients of the Early Career Artist Awards 2025–26: Ewan Power, Inés Pesado Catrufo, and Ronan Callahan — three exciting emerging voices shaping the future of contemporary photography in Ireland.
Pictured from left: ECAA winners Ewan Power, Inés Pesado Catrufo, Ronan Callahan with Photo Museum Ireland Curator, Darren Campion © Photo Museum Ireland
The Early Career Artist Awards support outstanding new photographic talent through a year-long residency at Photo Museum Ireland. The programme offers mentorship from leading curators and practitioners, professional development workshops, darkroom and digital studio access, curatorial guidance, and production support, culminating in a group exhibition in 2026. Each artist’s work will also enter the Photo Museum Ireland Collection, contributing to the evolving record of contemporary Irish practice.
Congratulations to Ewan, Inés, and Ronan — we look forward to supporting your work as it evolves over the coming year.
This year marks our inaugural partnership with SIGMA through the SIGMA TALENTS Scholarship, providing each recipient with a €2,000 bursary, specialist mentorship, and access to SIGMA’s professional-grade lenses. This support enables artists to take creative risks, deepen technical skills, and build ambitious new bodies of work.
We extend our thanks to the colleges and tutors who nominated students for this year’s programme, as well as to our esteemed guest selectors for their time and expertise: Aoife Banks (Luan Gallery), Jens Friis (independent curator and photo historian), and Anne Nwakalor (curator and editor, No! Wahala magazine).
These artists represent the energy and innovation defining the next chapter of Irish photography. Through this award and our partnership with SIGMA, we are proud to invest in new voices and create meaningful opportunities for artists at a pivotal moment in their careers.