Winning photo by Jodi Bieber; the modern day Mona Lisa

This year’s World Press Photo Award-winning works will be on show at the Castle Cultural Centre in Poznań, central Poland from today, following the world premiere in Amsterdam last week.

The exhibition features the world’s best images captured by photographers, including a portrait of Afghan-born 18-year-old Bibi Aisha captured by Jodi Bieber from South Africa, the winner of World Press Photo of the Year 2010.

“It is very rare that a portrait is given the main prize in this contest,” said Joanna Przygońska, from the cultural center in Poznań which is hosting the display.

“Journalists have called her the ‘mutilated Mona Lisa’ due to the serenity and beauty of the photograph. Through this dramatic story of one individual, the jury draws attention to the problem of abused women, and not only in Afghanistan.”

A record number of over 108,000 photographs by photographers from 125 countries were entered into the contest this year.

There are two Poles among the award winners: Filip Ćwik, who received third prize in the People in the News category for his photo story centred on the Polish national days of mourning following the crash of the presidential plane in Smolensk in April 2010, and Tomasz Gudzowaty, who won second prize for his photo story on amateur car races in Mexico.

The organizers are expecting several thousand visitors to view the exhibition.

Winding up in Poznań on 20 May, the display then travels to Warsaw, followed by a stint in Opole, southwest Poland, and Kraków.

During over 100 showcases, the photo collection draws around 3 million viewers across the globe each year. (ab)