A Uzbekistan-born photographer has scooped £15,000 after being named overall winner of the Wellcome Photography Prize for his self-portrait series on depression.

Arseniy Neskhodimov created the five-image collection, called Prozac, to explore his feelings toward the condition and continue his focus on visual identity.

The talented artist, who has suffered with depression since the age of 20, said he had found antidepressants unhelpful and so decided to leave Moscow to chronicle his experiences at his parents’ house and in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.

Arseniy Neskhodimov created the five-image collection, called Prozac, which explores his experience of the condition and continues his focus on visual identity. Pictured: Neskhodimov’s Self-Portrait with a Tennis Racket

Neskhodimov, who was born in 1981 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, was also the winner of the mental health series category.

He received £15,000 for his overall win as well as £1,250 for coming out top in his category.

He said: ‘My self-portrait stories are a kind of therapy that help me fight off the attacks of despair and loss of meaning, especially in this difficult pandemic time. 

The talented artist, who has suffered with depression since the age of 20, said he had found antidepressants unhelpful. Pictured: Neskhodimov’s Self-Portrait with Christmas Trees

He received £15,000 for his overall win as well as £1,250 for coming out top in his category. Pictured: Neskhodimov’s Self-Portrait as a Beach-Goer

He chronicled his experiences by creating the works at his parents’ house and in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Pictured: Neskhodimov’s Self-Portrait in Hotel

‘I’ve been trapped at home out of a job for three months and the only thing that brings some sense into my life is to keep taking pictures.’ 

Neskhodimov triumphed from a shortlist of 25 photographers from 13 countries who were chosen by an expert panel of judges from across photography, medicine, media and science disciplines.

Marijn Fidder’s Cards won the social perspectives category, Jenevieve Aken’s Monankim won the hidden worlds category, Julia Gunther and Sophia Mohammed’s Hadia won the medicine in focus category, and Benji Reid’s Holding On To Daddy triumphed in the mental health single image category. 

A shortlist of 25 photographers from 13 countries who were chosen. Pictured: Marijn Fidder’s Cards which won the social perspectives category

The winners were announced in an online event held on Wednesday. Pictured: Jenevieve Aken’s Monankim won the hidden worlds category

The winners were announced in an online event held on Wednesday which was hosted by Dame Cilla Snowball.

Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome and chairman of the Wellcome Photography Prize, said: ‘Unfortunately mental health is still in the shadows despite being a subject that we’re all touched by, whether directly or through our friends and family.

‘When subjects stay in the shadows they remain stigmatised, but by bringing them out into the open this power is lost, helping reinforce that it is normal and we can talk about it.’

Julia Gunther and Sophia Mohammed’s Hadia (pictured) won the medicine in focus category

Benji Reid’s Holding On To Daddy (pictured) triumphed in the mental health single image category