Iranian photographer Newsha Tavakolian accepts Prins Claus Award

Iranian photographer Newsha Tavakolian received the Prins Claus Award from the hands of Prince Constantijn in the Royal Palace in Amsterdam on Wednesday. The 100 thousand euro award is awarded annually to a person or organization committed to culture and society by the cultural fund, the Prins Claus Fonds, established in 1996 in honor of Prince Claus' 70th birthday. According to the cultural fund, Tavakolian creates work that "ranges from daring reports of political events to sensitive portraits and penetrating series" on various topics, NOS reports. Her work is a source of inspiration to young photographers in the Middle East. In his speech at the ceremony, Prince Constantijn said that Tavakolion works hard to give women a voice and to help young photographers. According to the Prince, Tavakolian makes it clear that the voice of a woman cannot simply be ignored. The Prince also talked about the big role new media plays in today's society. It brings the world closer together and people quickly form an opinion on everything, he said also pointing to Zwarte Piet. He feels that people look for quick, simple answers and that nuance and insight is often hard to find. The ceremony was also attended by King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima, Princess Beatrix, Princess Mabel and Princess Laurentien.