Neil Chowdhury, a Syracuse resident and assistant professor of photography at Cazenovia College, is one of three recipients of the 37th Annual Light Work Grants in Photography.
Ithaca-based artists Danielle Mericle and Ahndraya Parlato also received Light Work Grants, fellowships which include a $2,000 cash award, an exhibition at Light Work, and publication in The Light Work Annual.
Chowdhury’s series “Waking from Dreams of India” incorporates photography, video, audio, and photomontage to chronicle his journeys, physical and imaginative, as he explores and comes to terms with his Indian heritage.
During his first trip to India in 2002, he was able to locate his family’s home-the property had been left in the care of Chowdhury’s grandfather’s servant Chari. Chari’s extended family lived in huts on the property, and the first floor of the house was inhabited by squatters. Since that first trip, he has returned to India several times to continue to photograph for the project.
For more about Light Work, a nonprofit, artist-run organization dedicated to the support of artists working in photography and electronic media, visit lightwork.org .
