INDIAN PHOTOGRAPHY TODAY EXHIBITION

Photo above: Rickshaw riders gather around a fire beneath street-lighting in the dawn chill of Moradabad railway station. Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2006

These photographs will be displayed at Brighton’s AM Gallery from tomorrow as part of an exhibition called Indian Photography Today. The show will feature a diverse range of work from several photographers under the broad banner of contemporary Indian photography.

This is the first time that my work has been displayed in the UK since the National Portrait Gallery hosted the Taylor Wessing Award two years ago. Unfortunately I was not able to attend the opening of that particular exhibition so I’ve made sure I won’t be missing out this time around.

I’ll be at the gallery from 7pm on Tuesday April 12th so, if you’re in the Brighton area, please do drop in and say hello.

The exhibition runs until April 24th. A map with directions of how to get to the AM Gallery is here.

Scene of the fishing village of Randhbhandar which does not receive any Government services. Women must walk 5km for water and there is no government school. The community are however assisted by UNDP-supported Mahiti-Mitra which acts as a bridge allowing residents to campaign and apply for donor-agency support. Loans have been provided with the help of Mahiti-Mitra and the community are now establishing a fish-production company which allows families to pool their resources, bypass middle-men and sell fish directly to big buyers. Mahiti-Mitra estimates that this will see a two to three-fold increase in average household income. ..Photo: Tom Pietrasik.Kutch District, Gujarat. India.September 8th 2008. (Tom Pietrasik)Workers from the fishing village of Randhbhandar in the isolated district of Kutch in Gujarat state sort their nets on the beach. Though Gujarat is one of India’s wealthiest states, Randhbhandar does not receive any Government services. Women must walk 5km for water and their is no local authority school. Loans provided with the assistance of Mahiti-Mitra (a Non Government Organisation) have established a fish-production company which allows families to pool their resources, bypass middle-men and sell fish directly to the market. The formation of this fish production company has resulted in a two to three-fold increase in household incomes. Kutch District, Gujarat. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2008
..Mayawati is the Dalit (formerly untouchable) Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh state. She has undertaken an ambitious architectural project in Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati has commissioned hundreds of stonemasons to build a paved park in honor of Dalit hero Ambedkar (who wrote the Indian constitution). She considers the park a symbol of Dalit pride but her BSP party have done little to raise the lot of Dalits. The park is complete with domed buildings ornate pillars and statues of Ambedkar and Mayawati. ..Photo: Tom Pietrasik.Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. India .May 2nd 2009. (Tom Pietrasik)A construction worker passes the main monument in Lucknow’s Ambedkar park. Kumari Mayawati, the Dalit (or Untouchable) Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh state, has undertaken two ambitious architectural projects in state-capital Lucknow. She has commissioned hundreds of stonemasons to build two paved parks in honor of Dalit author of the Indian constitution B.R. Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram, Mayawati’s political mentor. The project employs 20-25,000 workers but has been criticised as a misallocation of public funds in one of India’s poorest states where there is a desperate need for greater investment in health and education services. Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2009
Since the beginning of August 2007, residents of Simra village in Gorakhpur disitrict, Uttar Pradesh, have been marooned by flooding along the Rapti river. A government boat provides the community access to areas beyond the village. The village was last marooned in 1998. The government have provided residents essential food rations and Unicef supplied medicine. Unicef-supported Health camps have served the health needs of the community...Flooding, begining at the end of July 2007, has ravaged 14 districts in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state. Crops have been destroyed, people left homeless and communities isolated. The districts of Barabanki and Gorakhpur are among those still suffering rainfall. Together with the government, Unicef is providing relief to affected communities, many of whom are without the resources to adequately cope with the situation. Supplies of chlorine tablets, ORS (Oral Rehydration Salts), tarpaulin and mosquito nets have been distributed by Unicef among affected communities. With the support of local administrations, Unicef has begun the construction of eco-san latrines in areas that have suffered flooding. Information on hygiene and sanitation has been provided in an effort to stem the threat of water-bourne disease. Unicef and the government have joined forces to send doctors into flood-affected areas. These mobile health-units provide consultation and treatment as well as medicine to those suffering in the floods. ..According to the Indian government flooding, which began at the end of July 2007, has affected over 38 million people across northern India. 31,514 villages have been affected and 343,614 houses have been damaged. 1,835 lives have been lost. Most of the devastation has occurred in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Assam and Orissa have also been affected. Unicef is working with the Government of India Health Department to bring relief to people affected by the flooding. Mobile teams provide medical care across affected districts an (Tom Pietrasik)A young resident of Simra village. At the beginning of August 2007, Simra village in Gorakhpur disitrict, Uttar Pradesh, became marooned by flooding along the Rapti river as a result of heavy monsoon rainfall. A government boat provided the community access to areas beyond the village. Gorakhpur disitrict, Uttar Pradesh. India ©Tom Pietrasik 2007
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