Rene Matić, Chronicler of British Class, Wins 2026 Deutsche Börse Photography Prize

Rene Matić b. 1997, United Kingdom Follow +

Rene Matić, the 29-year old London-based artist, writer and poet known for their reimaginings of British working-class culture and explorations of queer and West Indian identities, has won the 2026 Deutsche Börse photography prize.

The prestigious award, which comes with a £30,000 prize, recognises artists whose projects who have made the most significant contribution to international contemporary photography in Europe over the past 12 months. Matić, who is represented by London’s Arcadia Missa gallery, was selected for their 2025 exhibition As Opposed To The Truth, held at Berlin’s Center for Contemporary Arts.

Discussing their win, the artist told Ocula: “I didn’t expect it at all so I was in shock. Then all the emotions hit: disbelief, excitement, gratitude, pride, love.”

Asked how they will spend the award’s prize money, they said: “The money will be used to survive. The cost of living is real. Having that weight lifted slightly means I can focus on living and loving and making work without compromise, as we all deserve.”

Matić was announced as the 2026 winner of the prize at The Photographers’ Gallery in London earlier this evening. Shoair Mavlian, director of The Photographers’ Gallery and chair of the prize’s jury, said: “Rene’s deeply personal work is rooted in community and belonging—and their power both to heal and bring people together. Rene’s raw and honest photographs bring a story of Britain today to audiences outside the UK.”

As Opposed To The Truth, Matić’s solo debut in Berlin, derived its title from an observation by the artist’s therapist about painful truths—a theme reflected in the content of the show.

In an interview with the British Journal of Photography, the artist discussed how they collected Black dolls from second hand stores and the internet before presenting them as symbols of inherited family trauma. They traced their obsession with the dolls back to their father.

“His mother and father’s circumstances meant that he wasn’t very well looked after as a child and I think subconsciously I started to find these Black babies and give them the care they deserve, in a way that my dad deserved,” they told the magazine.

Anne-Marie Beckmann, director of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, described As Opposed To The Truth as a “vivid, fluid portrait of contemporary life”. “Their experimental approach expands what photography is and how we experience it,” she said.

In 2025, Matić was the second youngest artist ever to be nominated for the Turner Prize. Their work was described as asking questions of what it means to be “British”, while exploring the space between identities and belonging. 

“Last year was a big year for little me,” Matić said. “I just feel proud of myself and the people I work with. It’s a nice little confidence boost to keep the fire burning.”

A further three artists were shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse award: Jane Evelyn Atwood, Weronika Gęsicka and Amak Mahmoodian, all of whom will receive a £5,000 prize. An exhibition showcasing work by all three nominees, alongside Matić, is on show at The Photographers’ Gallery until 7 June.