BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

The 2025 HUAWEI XMAGE Awards Ceremony, alongside the “The World, You and Me” Annual Imaging Exhibition, opened on November 12 at the Grand Palais in Paris. This year, Filipino photographers Rhon Velarde and Mark Padecio captured global attention, earning acclaim for their outstanding works that showcase the Philippines’ vibrant creative spirit.

Hosted jointly alongside Paris Photo, one of the world’s most prestigious photography showcases founded in 1997, the event attracted a distinguished mix of accomplished creators, influential media representatives, industry leaders, and passionate photography enthusiasts.

2025 HUAWEI XMAGE Awards Ceremony and Annual Exhibition: Exploring ‘The World, You and Me’

Kevin Ho, CEO of HUAWEI Consumer Business Group, emphasized, “Through XMAGE, we harness the power of technology and imagery to better understand the world, and, more importantly, to see one another with greater empathy.”

The annual event regularly attracts over 100,000 attendees. This year’s exhibition represents the third time, after 2018 and 2019, that Paris Photo and HUAWEI have joined forces to introduce mobile photography to the global art scene. It is also the first since the company unveiled its barrier-breaking XMAGE brand that made a critical shift from mere technology to cultural storytelling.

This year’s exhibition is based on the theme “The World, You and Me“, and showcases the works of talented creators perceiving, recreating, and interpreting the world around them. The three exhibition areas are titled “I Capture, Therefore I Am”, “The Constructed, The Perceived”, and “In Their Own Words”, reflecting the competition’s emphasis on visual immersion.

All of the works on display grapple with the idea of reimaging the relationship between individuals, their wholly unique perspectives, and the visual worlds they inhabit. In addition to its role as an exhibition, the event gathered many of the leaders in global photography, inspiring new exchanges and connections, underscoring HUAWEI XMAGE’s aspiration to serve as a global platform promoting artistic exchange for all.

A Global Celebration of Vision Bringing Creativity Around the World

This year’s competition drew over 743,000 submissions from talented creators across 78 countries and regions, highlighting the global appeal and reach of HUAWEI XMAGE. The “XMAGE 100” award-winning works were the most outstanding images, not grouped into traditional categories, and among them three Grand Prize Winners of the Year were recognized. Filipino photographers Rhon Velarde and Mark Padecio were celebrated among the XMAGE 100 for their powerful storytelling and technical mastery. 

“Let’s continue to capture, share, and inspire the world through XMAGE,” encouraged Alex Huang, CMO of  HUAWEI Consumer Business Group.

The judges highlighted the way Popa explores uncharted territories of photography with high-end smartphones, observing how mobile technology transforms perception. The image demonstrates a seamless interplay of optics and algorithmic computation, moving viewers from surface observation to profound insight. Through this work, the photographer seamlessly moves between the macro and micro worlds, guiding viewers from “seeing” to “insight” and uncovering fascinating unknown in the most unexpected moments.

The judges noted the photo’s extraordinary depth in its simplicity. It captures the full cycle of life: the mother, the newborn calf, and the farmer, who probably gave no thought to the uniqueness of this scene. It is the ordinary nature of this image that makes it so extraordinary. The photographer employs no special tricks, simply capturing an image of extraordinary depth and meaning as it occurs.

This work portrays the quiet connection between a child and their environment, set against a snowy plain under the sun. The judges commended the photographer’s remarkable restraint, not projecting their own feelings onto the image, but rather letting the child’s personality shine through.

Filipino Talent Shines on the Global Stage Bringing the Philippines’ Stories to the World

Among the featured artists, Filipino photographers Rhon Velarde and Mark Padecio present compelling narratives that highlight everyday life and culture in the Philippines.

Muddy But Happy by Mark Padecio – Philippines with HUAWEI nova 10

This work captured a fleeting yet powerful moment of joy as children played along a muddy riverside after the first rainfall following a drought. Shot spontaneously with the HUAWEI nova 10, the image showcased the phone’s clarity, color accuracy, and dynamic range, bringing life and authenticity to the scene. Padecio explained, “Winning the XMAGE Award was an incredible honor. The photo is more than an image; it is a visual story that captures who we are as a nation: resilient, hopeful, and deeply rooted in our sense of community.” He added, “Through photography, I aim to show how Filipinos find beauty in simplicity and strength in togetherness. Every frame tells a story of courage and hope driven by heart.”

This photo captured a striking moment of light, color, and emotion,  showcasing the HUAWEI P40 Pro’s dynamic range and color accuracy, bringing depth and mood to the scene. Velarde reflected, “Winning the XMAGE Award is deeply meaningful to me, it’s more than recognition; it’s a statement that Filipino creativity can stand proudly on the world stage. As a photographer from the Philippines, it feels like carrying the stories, colors, and emotions of our culture to a global audience. Valerde added, “Photography allows me to share our stories and emotions with the world, showing that connection and empathy transcend borders.” 

Through these images and countless others, HUAWEI XMAGE is inspiring a paradigm shift in photography from “seeing” to “perceiving” our world, forging connections in unexpected places. Now that pictures are no longer images to be passively viewed, but rather, windows to what surrounds us, each touch of the shutter opens up a world of possibility.

 
*All Photos from Huawei