William Frej’s most recent book, Seasons of Ceremonies: Rites and Rituals in Guatemala and Mexico, continues to win a number of awards, including the recently announced Gold Medal Best Photography book for 2021 from Foreword Indies/Foreword Reviews.

The book also just received two wins from the Moscow International Foto Awards competition in its book division: a Gold medal for the “people” subject matter category, and 2nd Place, Book Photographer of the Year.

Earlier this spring, the work won 2022 Photography Book of The Year from both the Independent Press Awards and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (NGIBA). 

Last year’s accolades for the book include Bronze Medal, Photography Books, Tokyo International Foto Awards; Silver Medal, Photography Books/People, Budapest International Photography Awards; and 

Finalist, National Indie Excellence® Awards.

 Frej’s previous  work,  Maya Ruins Revisited: In the Footsteps of Teobert Maler,  won thirteen awards. 

In November 2021, Peyton Wright Gallery was honored to host an exhibition of Frej’s works featured in the book,  a captivating visual record of the rich, still-alive traditions in Guatemala and Mexico, conveyed through striking black and white photography.  Starting with the early December celebrations of the Virgin Mary in Mexico’s Yucatán, the book chronicles feast days of patron saints in Chiapas, Mexico and Rabinal, Guatemala; the Carnival celebrations before Lent; Holy Week before Easter; and finally, the Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico. Thirteen ceremonies are chronicled.    

This fall we are equally excited to feature an exhibition accompanying his new book, Travels across the Roof of the World: A Himalayan Memoir.  Dates and details coming soon.