Sanjay Austa (2010-11)
Sanjay Austa is a documentary photographer who began his career as a journalist. He covered virtually everything ranging from politics to page-three parties. But it was in human- interest stories where his heart lay. After a few years of writing he turned a full time photographer carrying his passion for human-interest issues. As a photographer, he focused on those issues which were social, economical and criminal injustices of a very large scale and documented them through photo-essays. Over the years he has covered scores of such issues including isolated incidents of brutality and injustice. He is currently documenting the life of elderly sex-workers in India depicting the neglected miserable lives sex-workers live after they cross 40. He is also documenting the lives of Indian gays and lesbians, in an attempt to find if the recent decriminalization of homosexuality has changed their life. His other project is on Indian artisans, where he is documenting how globalization is pushing the artisans out of their traditional occupations. Sanjay documented the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims which focused on victims who were in their mother's womb, few days old, or school going toddlers when their fathers, uncles or siblings were butchered in Delhi during the riots. His photo-essay ``From Lost Childhood to Uncertain Future'', focuses on how the riots affected these children and what they grew up into, 26 years after the tragedy. His first assignment as a photographer took him on an adventurous two-month expedition to Kanchenjuga, where he documented the Indian Army's climb to the summit. Since then he has shot myriad subjects in diverse geographical climes, including life in the arctic and wildlife in the African savannas. He has also done picture books on Indian Monuments for Penguin Books. His ventures require high sensitivity and perseverance, which he displays profoundly.
Art Entrepreneur
Isha Singh (2009-10)
With over 18 years of work experience in cross-cultural global environment, Isha Singh has been successfully able to combine her passion for arts with her compassion for the unprivileged. A firm believer of giving back to the society, she has created Art Laureate, an art gallery that provides a platform for those artists who have not been fortunate enough to showcase their talent. She is an active volunteer for Literacy India, a registered NGO and has participated in various fundraising programs for them. Environment protection and drive against Corruption are the other two issues that she has been passionately working for. Her contribution to society has crossed national boundaries as she has extended her help to children in New Jersey and Bahrain. She has also been involved with the Standard Chartered Bank (Abu Dhabi), The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and PNC Bank (New Jersey).
Visual Artist
Ritam Banerjee (2009-10)
Ritam Banerjee is a professional photographer and it is his passion for his profession that gives his photography a whole new meaning. Photography, he says, is still about making positives out of negatives and when the going gets tough he uses his pictures brilliantly to bring the brighter side of life into focus. ‘A picture speaks a thousand words’ is not a cliché for him. He strongly believes that images are powerful tools of communication and he uses the lens to the best of his ability to illustrate how one can make a change rather than just complain. Be it the much hyped Slumdog Millionaire or the sensitive issues like 26\11 terror attacks, he makes sure that his pictures get across to the world what he perceives through his lens. Interestingly, he likes to see the glass half full as he believes that hope is the foundation of justice. He has big names like Citigroup, Deloitte, Microsoft, TATA Steel, Jet Airways etc. and now the ‘Incredible India’ campaign to his credit. Mr.Ritam shares his passion and knowledge with students at various colleges like Fergusson College, Symbiosis College, SIES College and has provided them with a platform to enhance their skills with equipments that were missing during his formative years.