Maria Abranches is a Portuguese independent documentary photographer and photojournalist who uses photography to highlight critical issues, amplify marginalized voices, and inspire change.
Originally trained as an architect, Abranches worked in the field for several years before studying analog photography at Ar.Co in Lisbon. This led to an internship in photojournalism at the Portuguese newspaper Público, after which she decided to dedicate her career exclusively to photography. She now contributes to Público, Reuters, The Guardian, and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
Abranches developed an interest in Portuguese colonial history while documenting the production of Pele Escura (2021), a film exploring racism and inclusion directed by Graça Castanheira. This experience inspired Trançar o Mundo (2022), a visual exploration of African hair heritage and its cultural symbolism, created in collaboration with Afro-descendant hairdressers.
In 2023-2024, she was selected for the Masterclass Narrativa. During this program, she began developing MARIA, an ongoing project that won the Cortona On The Move Award 2024 and was a finalist for the Prix Virginia 2024, APhF Dummy Award, and Blow Up Press Book Award. It also received an Honorable Mention at Novos Talentos Fnac 2024. She was awarded the LensCulture Emerging Talent Award 2024.
World Press Photo Involvement:
2025 World Press Photo Contest winner
Maria Abranches on Social Media:
Instagram: @maria_abranches
