Fresh off winning an All About Photo Award, Cesare Simioni's powerful black-and-white image Soul Beneath the Paint has picked up another major award. The image of a young boy has now been named the Grand Winner of the Black and White category at the Pure Street Photography Awards 2026.
Based in Brazil, Simioni captured the moment during Lambe-Sujo e Caboclinhos – a traditional street theater deeply rooted in the northeastern state of Sergipe.
The annual manifestation tells a painful but powerful story about Brazil's history, depicting the escape of enslaved people and the formation of quilombos – communities founded by escaped enslaved people and their descendants.
At the center of the photo, a young boy stares directly into Simioni's lens, creating a striking focal point. In the festival itself, the Lambe-Sujos are painted black with sugarcane molasses and charcoal, representing Black quilombolas searching for freedom.
The red-painted Caboclinhos, meanwhile, represent Indigenous people historically recruited by plantation owners to pursue and recapture those who escaped.
Grand Winner: 'Soul Beneath the Paint'
"A cultural legacy passed down from generation to generation," Simioni explains. "At the heart of the Lambe Sujo and Caboclinhos Festival in Sergipe, a young boy looks out at the world through the lens of his heritage.
"Surrounded by his elders, he carries on his skin and in his expression the resilience, pain, and beauty of one of Brazil's most powerful folk traditions."
Internationally Acclaimed Street Photographer and judge Rui Palha says about the award-winning image, "Indeed this is a great photograph. Humanism is one of the characteristics very important of street photography.
"It's a very impressive image. The black and white is perfect, as well as the composition and the light measurement. As dear Dimpy used to say, as well as me, this is a 'Oh my goodness, wow'. Congratulations to this deserved award."
Pure Street Photography Awards
Founded by award-winning photographers and curators Dimpy Bhalotia and Kamal Kumaar Rao, Pure Street Photography is an international platform dedicated exclusively to street photography, offering awards, exhibitions, grants, memberships, interviews and educational initiatives.
With a global audience of more than 300,000 photographers and photography enthusiasts, the platform champions both emerging and established photographers through thoughtful curation, meaningful recognition and long-term artistic development.
For more information, visit the Pure Street Photography Awards website.
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