The Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards (KLPA) is a yearly global contest that celebrates the finest and newest portrait photography entries from photographers of all skill levels. Established in 2009, KLPA has earned a reputation as a prominent and essential award in the photography world, supporting and recognizing contemporary portrait practices, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Intimate portraiture requires trust between the photographer and the subject, as the camera can be seen as an intrusive object that disrupts the moment it aims to preserve. This year's theme calls for portraits that convey the intimacy of space and time, the power of memories, and the emotional responses brought on by subconscious desires. Intimacy can mean different things to different people, but in photography, it is seen as an essential element in creating an engaging portrait. To achieve intimacy, photographers must be willing to venture into unfamiliar territory, allowing intuition and beauty to guide their vision.

Self-portraits are the ultimate expression of intimacy as the creator and the subject are one and the same.

Although photography is often called a literal art form, portraiture can push the boundaries on the literal with constructed narratives. We are now open for entries to the 2024 edition with a theme of MAKE IT REAL : Staged Narratives in Portraiture seeking the deeper trajectories of storytelling, alternative realities or make-believe tales that infect our minds.