Video Discription |
Project Director: Diwan Manna
Journey of a Moment in Time by RAGHU RAI
ਰਘੁ ਰਾਏ - ਕਾਲ ਵਿਚ ਛਿਣ ਯਾਤਰਾ
Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi ਪੰਜਾਬ ਲਲਿਤ ਕਲਾ ਅਕਾਦਮੀ
This video is a part of Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi's ongoing project of video archiving all the major artists, art historians, art critics, folk artists and other aspects related to visual arts of Punjab specifically and other parts of the country and globe in general.
The project is an initiative of Diwan Manna, artist and President of Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi.
This video was recorded at the time of an Audio Visual Presentation - Journey of a Moment in Time by Raghu Rai at the auditorium of Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi Punjab Kala Bhawan, Sector 16 B, Chandigarh on 4th February 2019.
RAGHU RAI, born 1942 at Jhang, (Now in Pakistan) and a qualified civil engineer began his career as a photographer at the age of 23 in 1965.
In 1971, celebrated photographer Henri Cartier Bresson nominated Raghu Rai to Magnum Photos, the world’s most prestigious photographer’s cooperative.
He was the chief photographer at The Statesman (1966 to 1976), Picture Editor of Sunday magazine (1977 to 1980), Picture Editor-Visualiser-Photographer of India Today (1982 to 1991). He contributed trailblazing picture essays on social, political and cultural themes.
Photo essays by him have appeared in world’s leading magazines and newspapers - Time, Life, GEO, Le Figaro, Le Monde, Die Welt, The New York Times, Sunday, The Times-London, Newsweek, Vogue, GQ, D magazine, Marie Claire, The Independent and New Yorker. He has been an adjudicator for World Press Photo Contest, Amsterdam and UNESCO’s International Photo Contest for many times.
He was awarded the ‘Padmashree’ (1972) for the body of work he produced on the Refugees and Bangladesh war, its impact on people and finally, the surrender.
The photo documentation of 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy by him, and the continuing effects of the gas on the lives of the victims under a special assignment from Greenpeace International was compiled into a book and travelled as an exhibition in Europe, America, Australia, India and South East Asia from 2002 to 2005. This created greater awareness about the tragedy, which brought relief to the survivors.
In 1992 he was awarded “Photographer of the Year” in United States for the story “Human Management of Wildlife in India” published in National Geographic. In 2009 he was conferred Officere des Arts et des Lettres by Government of France. In 2015 he was honoured with a lifetime achievement award by Ministry of Press Information Bureau, Govt of India.
He is probably the only photographer in the country who has done more than 55 books on India- his homeland that he loves very deeply.
Besides winning many national and international awards, Rai has exhibited his works around the world. Some of the major exhibitions include Retrospective at Museo de Capitolini- Rome- 2005; Retrospective of his work at Arles Photography Festival–2007; Asiatica Film Mediale, Rome–2008; A Retrospective–National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi -2008 and at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai -2008; at Aicon Gallery, London 2010; Women Changing India - Saachi gallery, London 2011.
As one of the top ten photographers of the world most important channels have made documentaries on Raghu Rai and his creative journey, like National Geographic and CNN. A documentary on him – ‘Raghu Rai an unframed portrait’ made by his daughter Avani Rai was shortlisted in top 10 documentaries at Interanation Documentary Films Festival Amsterdam.
Raghu Rai tirelessly continues to photograph India through the 20th century and now into the 21st. His monumental body of work of myriad themes is certainly a slice of India’s modern history because of which he has come to be known as the father of photo journalism in India.
Raghu Rai lives in New Delhi with his family and continues to be an associate of Magnum Photos.
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