INFORMATION
Artist Statement
Hello, my name is Owen Emerson Prucey, and I am an 18-year-old self-taught photographer based in Pittsburgh. My work strives to capture memories we hold onto, the isolating spaces we get stuck in, and the fragile connections that pull us back toward each other — using a variety of photographic styles. I love incorporating both monochrome and color into my photographic work. Black and white allows me to delve into emotion without distraction. The use of color in my work comes in when the world insists on it.
Being Japanese American is a significant aspect that shapes my perspective within the artistic space of photography. Often feeling suspended “in between” cultures, I developed a way of seeing things from both the inside and out. I want my work to question myself and anyone who sees it. As I grow, I plan to use photography to address social issues that deserve more than brief headlines — topics such as displacement, confinement, inequality, and climate change. My long-term goal is to join Magnum Photos and ultimately become a person whose photographic work is one of the most recognized.
Being Japanese American is a significant aspect that shapes my perspective within the artistic space of photography. Often feeling suspended “in between” cultures, I developed a way of seeing things from both the inside and out. I want my work to question myself and anyone who sees it. As I grow, I plan to use photography to address social issues that deserve more than brief headlines — topics such as displacement, confinement, inequality, and climate change. My long-term goal is to join Magnum Photos and ultimately become a person whose photographic work is one of the most recognized.
Selected Awards & Recognition
- International Photography Awards (IPA) — 16 Official Selections, 11 Honorable Mentions (7 in Fine Art) - (2025)
- Blurb Books “The Edit: Sequencing” Workshop — Selected participant for curated workshop on sequencing and visual storytelling - (2025)
- Divide Magazine, Issue 16 — Three photographs selected for publication - (2025)
- Architecture Photography Awards — Five finalist certificates - (2025)
- Porsche (Official Channels) — Photography feature - (2024)
- Scholastic Art & Writing Awards — Two Honorable Mentions - (2024)
- Drexel University High School Photo Competition, One Honorable Mention - (2024)
Exhibitions
- Drexel University, Juried Group Exhibition (Philadelphia, 2024)
- Scholastic Awards Exhibition, Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, 2024)
Professional Experience
Pittsburgh Media Partnership – Freelance Photographer — Invited contributor connecting with 35+ regional media outlets for editorial/documentary work (2025–Present)
Guidance & Critical Feedback
Mustafah Abdulaziz, Bill Shapiro, Stephen Shore, Alex & Rebecca Norris Webb, Matt Eich, Virginia Heckert