Decagon Gallery - "Something Like Joy" International Photography Exhibition Open Call 2026

• Decagon Gallery

• Deadline: September 15th, 2026

• Theme: Something Like Joy

• Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition

• Entry Fees: Yes

• REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE

Joy rarely announces itself. More often, it appears in subtle gestures, fleeting expressions, and quiet moments that reveal the beauty of everyday life. It may be found in simple routines, unexpected encounters, changing light, or the connections shared between people, places, and the world around them. These are the moments that often leave the deepest impression precisely because they are genuine rather than staged.

Something Like Joy is an open call for photographers to explore the many dimensions of joy through authentic visual storytelling. The exhibition welcomes work that captures delight, warmth, optimism, tenderness, gratitude, and quiet wonder in all their forms. Whether documenting lively celebrations, intimate family moments, peaceful solitude, acts of generosity, or unexpected beauty discovered in ordinary surroundings, photographers are encouraged to present images that evoke emotional resonance and human connection.

The exhibition also embraces the complexity of happiness. Joy can coexist with vulnerability, resilience, loss, and hope. It may emerge after hardship, through recovery, perseverance, or small personal victories that carry profound meaning. Something Like Joy celebrates photography that reflects these layered emotions, reminding viewers that beauty is often discovered not in perfection, but in authenticity and shared human experience.