Congratulations to 15 new Adobe Stock Artist Development Fund recipients

We’d like to officially announce and celebrate the final 15 artist recipients of the 2022 Artist Development Fund from Adobe Stock. We created the Artist Development Fund to provide meaningful financial support to help artists overcome barriers to mounting creative productions.

We’d like to congratulate Ajay Abalaka, Malik Afegbua, Sophia Andreazza, Rose Callahan, Jonathan De Guzman, Tiago Dias, Roxanne Gonzales, Mario Guerra, Teri Hofford, Maria Louceiro, Kevin Outa, Kartika Paramita, Ryan Riley, German Torres, and Emily Tse on their creative achievements. Read on to learn more about the Artist Development Fund and these artists.

What is the Artist Development Fund?

This program is part of how we demonstrate our commitment to supporting, featuring, and furthering more accurate visual representation of different regional, ethnic, and lifestyle communities in stock photography, illustration, and video. We have collaborated with the Adobe Creative Residency program to award funds to nearly 80 artists since the start of this program. These artists — many of them brand new to the world of stock imagery — have used the funding to support their creative vision and depict their own personal narratives and communities with accuracy and heart.

As part of the Adobe Stock Advocates program, Adobe Stock selects artists for recognition and funding based on their application proposals and their demonstrated ability to create from the perspective of their own communities. Working with global artists from different backgrounds helps us get closer to our goal: expanding and maintaining a truly inclusive, world-class stock collection that authentically represents all of us and inspires creators worldwide. Visit their individual artist pages and learn more about these artists below.

Ajay Abalaka

Ajay Abalaka is a filmmaker and photographer from Abuja, Nigeria whose current work focuses on how tradition is being challenged by young and queer identities in modern-day Nigeria.

Malik Afegbua

Malik Afegbua is a Nigerian born and based contemporary artist, virtual reality curator, and film director.

Sophia Andreazza

Sophia Andreazza is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer based in São Paulo, Brazil seeking to raise awareness of the importance of positive representation of different bodies, genders and ways of living and existing in the world.

Rose Callahan

Rose Callahan is a New York-based photographer and director who makes portraits of individuals pushing the boundaries of gender and fashion to celebrate the transformative power of style.

Jonathan De Guzman

Jonathan De Guzman is a freelance photographer based in Manila, Philippines whose sports photography focuses on the potential to bring people together in a positive way.

Tiago Dias

Tiago Dias is a freelance filmmaker born and based in Lisbon, Portugal who creates documentaries, commercials, and music videos with his own distinct point of view.

Roxanne Gonzales

Roxanne Gonzales is a British-Filipina illustrator based in London, whose work centers around Filipino culture and themes of self-expression, identity, and community.

Mario Guerra

Mario Enrique Velásquez Guerra is a commercial and artistic photographer based in Guatemala who is intent on using his work to drive more awareness, transformation, and inclusiveness.

Teri Hofford

Teri Hofford is a body image educator, photographer, author, and podcast host from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada who specializes in encouraging people to challenge their body image biases and beliefs to move closer to self-acceptance.

Maria Louceiro

Maria Louceiro is a freelance photographer and art director based in Berlin who seeks to reflect her community and communicate hopefulness, empowerment, and positivity.

Kevin Outa

Kevin Outa is a self-taught photographer and filmmaker working in Nairobi, Kenya whose documentary-style projects focus on real stories, told by real people.

Kartika Paramita

Kartika Paramita is an illustrator and surface pattern designer from Indonesia whose work offers a portrait of daily lives of her community, including prayer, holiday celebration, and food.

Ryan Riley

Ryan Riley is a self-taught photographer whose work centers around identity, with a focus on the African diaspora.

German Torres

German Torres is a Mexican American director based in Los Angeles, California whose goal is to tell stories of marginalized people and cultivate empathy

Emily Tse

Emi Tse is an illustrator and motion designer based in London, who explores the themes of empowered women, cultural diversity, and mindfulness through a series of inclusive illustrations.