Justin Jin

(Hong Kong)

Finalist

For more than a decade, Justin Jin has worked as an independent photojournalist for leading magazines and newspapers, specialising in reaching people in hidden, harsh or sensitive situations.
Whether tackling themes such as authoritarianism in Russia, exploitation in China or illegal immigration in Europe, he aims to get inside the worlds of the people involved. Through his photography and writing, he challenges preconceptions, exposes hypocrisy and condemns abuse, as much as he celebrates strength and humanity. For the past four years, he has been based in Moscow, reporting and carrying out corporate assignments in Russia, China and beyond. Previously he worked in Western Europe while based in Amsterdam. He speaks Russian, Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese, English and Dutch. Some of his projects are commissioned, while others are self-initiated. He applies the same passion, persistence and discipline to all. He also exhibits in galleries and museums, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which has collected a body of his work. Previously he worked as a Reuters correspondent, covering China from Beijing and managing a bureau of financial reporting in Shenzhen city. Before that, he was at Cambridge University, reading Philosophy and Political Sciences. He was born in Hong Kong in 1974.