In an image-driven world, Anuja situates her practice in the elementary aspects of making images. Her work takes shape from the vantage point of Ladakh in the remote roof of the Indian Himalayas, which underpins her camera-less and analog photography, bookmaking, and mixed-media installations.
Ladakh as a lived experience has enabled her understanding of the world as one that does not exist of its own accord, but one that is dependent on causes and conditions. Witnessing the lingering uncertainties of mountain communities against the planet’s ailing health has profoundly informed her practice over the past few years—over which she has committed herself to studying the region’s history, geomorphology, and ecology. As an educator and social entrepreneur at Ladakh Orchards, she also continues to learn from the youth, elders, farmers, scientists, and spiritual practitioners about the interconnectedness of the visible and invisible eco-cultures of the trans-Himalayas.
Anuja now endeavours to create new lenses for the climate crisis to produce visual notes and experiences of the often unpronounced rhythms of nature and their interconnectedness with cultural configurations. Through this, she appeals for a re-imagination of established ways of seeing and imaging life on earth to suture the growing ruptures between fundamentally harmonious coexistences.
• ‘Crossed Roads’, Verzasca Foto Festival, Switzerland
• ‘Critical Zones. In Search of a Common Ground’, Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan New Delhi, India
• ‘Political Statement’, LoosenArt, Rome, Italy
• ‘Women in Photography’ (photobook by Katerina Kouzmitcheva), BWA Wroclaw, Poland
• Ladakh Literature Festival, Leh
• The Art Book Exhibition (shortlist display), Shridharani Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi, India
• Kochi-Muziris Students’ Biennale, Kerala, India
• Confluence & Mega Losar, New Delhi, India
• Head On Photo Festival, Australia
• Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India
• Odesa-Batumi Photo Days, Georgia
• Delhi Art Slam, New Delhi, India
• Deep Listening, New Delhi, India
• Contemporary Arts Week, New Delhi, India
• Pukaar : Artists at Work Productions, New Delhi, India
• Artist-in-Residence, NIROX Foundation (South Africa), supported by Inlaks Foundation
• Generator Co-operative Art Production Fund, Experimenter
• Artist-in-Residence: Verzasca Foto (Switzerland), supported by Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia
• Collaborator (Grant), The Chronos Initiative
• Toto Award for Photography, Toto Funds the Arts
• Prince Claus Seed Award, Prince Claus Fund
• Shortlist: Photobook Grant, Alkazi Foundation
• Designate Research Fellow, Sahapedia-UNESCO
• Winner: Portrait Prize, Indian Photo Festival
‘Itsy-Bitsy Writer’
What can writing do for you?–A conversation with writing faculty from across India;
Anant Fellowship, Anant National University, Ahmedabad
‘Abounaddara and the Syrian Spectacle’ Safarnama–Young Scholars’ Conference;
Ambedkar University Delhi
‘Through the Looking-Glass of the Viewfinder’ IP College for Women, University of Delhi
&
Jabberwock: Journal of the Department of English, Lady Shri Ram College for Women,
University of Delhi