BIO
Born in Manaus (Amazonas, Brazil), Raphael Alves dedicates his work to understanding the role that human beings play in the space divided by nature and the urban environment in his region - the Amazon.
Born in Manaus (Amazonas, Brazil), Raphael Alves dedicates his work to understanding the role that human beings play in the space divided by nature and the urban environment in his region - the Amazon.
He studied Journalism at the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM), Photography at the State University of Londrina (UEL), and Visual Arts at the National Service for Commercial Learning (SENAC). He also obtained a Master of Arts degree in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography from the University of the Arts, in London (UK). He is also an alumnus of the first group of the Laboratório Latinoamericano de Fotografía Documental (Pilot Public Library of Medellín, Colombia, 2025), of the VII Foundation's Visual Journalism Program (2025), and of the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop (2026).
In addition to collaborating with national and international media outlets, he is a member of the Everyday Brasil project.
Throughout his career, his work has been awarded the Pictures of the Year Latin America (POY Latam) award in 2017, 2021, and 2025, and in the Pictures of the Year International, in 2022. Raphael's work has also been recognized with the Getty Images Grant for Editorial Photography in 2021. Since 2021, his work has been part of the Testemunha Ocular project of the Moreira Salles Institute. In 2025, his photographs became part of the collection Un fonds photographique brésilien at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
EXHIBITIONS /COLLECTIONS
- II Festival Fotográfico de Medellín exhibition, 2025; Biblioteca Pública Piloto, Medellín, Colombia
- Pulso, 2025; 22ª Semana Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia, Esplanada dos Ministérios, Brasília, Brazil
- Un fonds photographique brésilien, 2024 - present; Bibliotèque Nationale de France. Paris, France- A Selva que nos Habita, 2024; Biblioteca do Palácio Galveias, Lisboa, Portugal
- Imagens para o Futuro, Everyday Brasil, 2023; Museu da Imagem e do Som (MIS), São Paulo, Brazil
- Testemunha Ocular, 2022-present,; Instituto Moreira Salles (IMS), Brasil
- The Art Collection, 2018-present; Instituto Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos (ICBEU) Manaus, Brasil
- Amazônia: Os Extremos, 2017; Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Brazil
- Saltando Muros travelling exhibition, 2013-2014; various, Ibero-America
AWARDS / GRANTS / HONORS
- Pictures of the Year LATAM, 2025; News (single images)
- 3º Prêmio de Jornalismo Ambiental, 2025; 1st place, Photojournalism
- II Festival Fotográfico de Medellín, 2025; 3rd Prize
- 3º Festival Photo Things, 2024; Selected artist
- Sony World Photography Awards, 2024; Shortlist, Documentary Projects
- The Nature Conservancy Contest, 2023; Winner, Climate
- Somos: Imagens da Lusofonia - 4ª Edição, 2023; Winner
- Pictures of the Year International, 2022; Award of Excellence, Impact 2021: Covid 2nd Year
- Prêmio Fundação Conrado Wessel de Fotografia, 2022; 3rd prize
- Grande Prêmio de Fotografia, 2022; Winner
- XXVII Concurso Latinoamericano de Fotografía Documental, 2021; winner, Series
- Getty Images Grant for Editorial Photography, 2021; Recipient
- Pictures of the Year LATAM, 2021; 1st Place, The Pandemic in Ibero-America
- Itaú Cultural “Arte Como Respiro” Grant, 2020; Recipient
- Primer Prémio de Fotografía Internacional ‘Memoria Visible’, 2018; Honorable Mention
- Pictures of the Year LATAM, 2017; 3rd Prize, Daily Life
- Prêmio Fapeam de Jornalismo Científico, 2015; 1st Prize, Photojournalism
- Leica X Photo Contest, 2014; 1st Prize, Series
- Convocatoria Iberoamericana de Proyectos Fotográficos Saltando Muros, 2013; selected
- Best of News Design, 2010; Award of Excellence, Photography Feature
- Prêmio Fiema de Jornalismo Ambiental, 2010; 1st and 3rd priiza, Photojournalism