Though currently a resident of DC, our judge this month comes to us from halfway around the world. Bagus Himawan (Iwan) was born in Jakarta, Indonesia. He received a BA in Economics in Jakarta; soon after, he moved to Washington, DC to pursue his education further. He earned his MS in Engineering from the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the George Washington University. After that, he completed an MA in Film from the School of Communication of American University, with a concentration in Film Directing and Photography.

During his studies at AU, Iwan started working as a freelance photographer. His first assignment was for Teatro de la Luna, and his images were published in The Washington Post, The Washington Times, as well as other national publications, and also in El Pais in Paraguay.

Since then, his works have been published in The Atlantic magazine, DC Modern Luxury, International Finance Corporation’s Annual Report, In Style magazine, and for exclusive commercial clients in DC, New York, and Indonesia. He has also taken time for non-profit organizations in and around Washington, DC.

As a fine art photographer, Iwan is represented by The Studio Gallery in DC. Moreover, his work has been shown at the National Geographic Society, the Corcoran-WPA, The Carnegie Institute-DC, the Art Museum of the Americas, Vermont Photo Place, the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, Atlanta Photography Group, and a number of national and international, juried photography exhibitions.

Currently, Iwan heads the Photography Concentration at the University of the District of Columbia. When not on a photo shoot or teaching, Iwan spends his time cooking up spicy creations for his extended family and playing with Osmar, a Saluki.