Claës Lewenhaupt’s scholarship fund for young photographers was funded after Claës death in 1990. The intention of the foundation is to promote young photographers possibility to develop or fulfil a photographic idea through a yearly distribution.
The foundation has its residence in Landskrona and the board for the time being consists of Tonie Lewenhaupt, Gerry Johansson, Janne Jönsson and Göran Nyström.
Up until 2018 the scholarship has been distributed 19 times. Lisa Brink is the scholar in 2022. Every scholar leaves an image as a gift to the foundation. These images are stored at Landskrona museum.
Read more about Claës Lewenhaupt-foundation and earlier scholars
ABOUT CLAËS LEWENHAUPT
Like many other photographers Claës Lewenhaupt acclaimed the daylight. The soft slightly sad and grey northern light that gently sneaks in and on over faces, bodies and fabrics, over food and people, room and gardens, over houses and landscapes.
The camera, preferably a Rolleiflex, in a proper height, a steady tripod, no artificial angles, never difficult poses or overambitious arrangements.
Claes was in many ways a classical photographer but in his own personal way. Images of fashion, food, gardening, portraits, and commercials like Flora, TT-beer, or Jane Hellen had their own often undated calm but never a boring character.
Claës died of cancer in May 1990. At Landskrona museum the largest part of his image archive is stored.
The 2026 scholar is Nayra Aly
Nayra Aly has been awarded the Claës Lewenhaupt Scholarship 2026 for an artistic practice that curiously spans a wide spectrum of techniques and media—as well as cultures and continents. She first found her footing in painting before expanding her practice to include photography. Within the photographic field, Aly moves with technical ease while addressing themes of considerable depth. Her dual cultural and ethnic background has made her a keen observer of the conditions of diaspora. Drawing on personal experiences, her narratives imagine alternative realities and create engaging dialogues between cultures.
With the support of the scholarship, Aly will further develop Can I Sit With You?, a project born out of repeated experiences of exclusion and rejection in Sweden. The project takes her back to her birthplace in Egypt, where she explores how different cultures relate to community, hospitality, and inclusion. Through this work, Aly asks: what does it truly mean to be invited to sit with others, and what is required to make space for someone else?
Nayra Aly was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1996. Before her family settled in Stockholm in 2011, she lived in both Italy and the United States. Aly studied at Beckmans College of Design and made her publishing debut in 2025 with the book Longing for Belonging.
