The German Society for Photography has awarded Duane Michals its prestigious Culture Prize, reports Monopol. The American photographer is best known for his personal, philosophical, and, at times, whimsical sequential images, which often incorporate text and depict scenes ranging from the surreal to the political.

Born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, in 1932, Michals studied graphic design at the University of Denver between 1949 and 1953. He then served in the US Army and was stationed in Germany. After his military service, Michals continued his graphic design studies at the Parsons School of Design in 1956. The artist’s interest in photography wasn’t ignited until he vacationed in Russia in 1958.

The artist’s early work was featured alongside Bruce Davidson, Lee Friedlander, Danny Lyon, and Garry Winogrand in the 1966 exhibition “Towards a Social Landscape” at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. In 1970, MoMA staged a solo show titled “Stories by Duane Michals.” Today, the eighty-five-year-old artist continues to exhibit in museums and galleries across the globe, including, most recently, at OSMOS in New York.

The annual prize was established in 1959 to celebrate significant photographic achievements, especially in the artistic, humanitarian, social, technical, educational, or scientific fields. Michals will be honored at an award ceremony that will take place at the SK Culture Foundation in Köln on October 21.