Masood Sarwer is a visual artist and a documentary photographer based in New Delhi, India. Born and brought up in West Bengal, India.

He practices long-term, in-depth projects and spends most of his time documenting the profound changes in culture and society and the contemporary issues in the Murshidabad district region where he grew up and is intimately familiar with it.

His works mainly focus on issues around women, girls, identity, human rights, and environmental issues. His work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally.

Currently, he has been exploring the world of his community and their struggles for survival as well as their search towards the hope of a more equal human world.

Recently he got selected for the Eddie Adams Workshop XXXIII where he won “The Jim Dietz Scholarship” and he is one of the finalists at the student Alexia Grant 2020. He also has received a scholarship from VII Academy to attend photojournalism and documentary photography with Christopher Morris.

Last year he was shortlisted for the Alexia Foundation Grant. In 2018, he won the scholarship to attend Foundry Photojournalism Workshop and was awarded the Foundry Golden Scarf.

In 2018, he was the photographic assistant over a year for the National Geographic assignment where he assisted photographer Smita Sharma on the story of trafficking girls into sexual slavery “Stolen Lives”.

His work has been published in the Indian daily newspaper - The Hindu, National Geographic Traveller Magazine India, VII Academy, FirstPost, Creative Image Magazine, Vasa Project, and Youth Ki Awaaz (online).

He is a faculty member of the Grayscale - Academy of Photography and Creative Vision.

He has completed his Diploma in photography from the APEX Institute, New Delhi, India.

Languages

English, Hindi, and Bengali.

PUBLICATIONS AND CONTESTS

2020: Selected for Eddie Adams Workshop XXXIII.

2020: Got “The Jim Dietz Scholarship” from Eddie Adams Workshop XXXIII.

2020: Got Scholarship to attend Photojournalism and Documentary Photography: A 12-week Seminar with Christopher Morris for South & Southeast Asian Participants from VII Academy.

2020: Tree” work got published at FirstPost. A visual record of the passage of time during Pandemic.

2020: Photographed for the book “Jal Jungle Jameen” on the Living Traditions of Chhattisgarh.

2019: Shortlisted for the “Student-Alexia Foundation Grant” 2019.

2019: Shortlisted for the “Indian Photography Festival” Photography Grant.

2018: Got Scholarship to attend Foundry Photojournalism Workshop, Kolkata, India.

2018: “Burning Both Ends” published in The Hindu, Indian daily newspaper.

2018: Shortlisted for the Toto-Tasveer Awards for Photography.

2017: Winner of Gionee Education Contest, Creative Image Magazine.

2016: Three times winner, Daily shot photo contest, Nat Geo Traveller Magazine, India.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2020: Long-term project “Burning Both Ends” was projected live on the historic walls of Porta San Gennaro, Naples, Italy during COVID-19.

2019: “Burning Both Ends” exhibited online at VASA front page project.

2016: “Intimacy” was exhibited at Matheran Green Festival, Mumbai, Preview Collective, India.

2014: Portfolio showcase, Academy for Photographic Excellence (APEX), New Delhi, India.

AWARDED

2018: Awarded Foundry Golden Scarf award, Foundry Photojournalism Workshop, India.

2020: Got “The Jim Dietz Scholarship” from Eddie Adams Workshop XXXIII.

WORKSHOP ATTENDED

2020: Selected for Eddie Adams Workshop XXXIII.

2020: Got Scholarship to attend Photojournalism and Documentary Photography: A 12-week Seminar with Christopher Morris for South & Southeast Asian Participants from VII Academy.

2018: Got Scholarship to attend Foundry Photojournalism Workshop, Kolkata, India.

2014: “The Art of Editing” workshop by Ashima Narain, photo editor for National Geographic Traveller India magazine.

2014: “Working with Studio Lights” by Dhruv Malhar.

2013: “The Art of the Darkroom” Workshop by Amitabha Bhattacharya.

BOOK

2020: Photographed for the book “Jal Jungle Jameen” on the Living Traditions of Chhattisgarh, India.

ASSISTED

2018-2019: Photographic Assistant for National Geographic assignment - Assisted photographer Smita Sharma for National Geographic assignment over one year. (http://smitasharma.com)

2014: Internship with photographer Dileep Prakash for series of “Sleeping in the Forest” project in Uttarakhand, India for seven days. (http://dileepprakash.blogspot.com).

2014: Assisted photographer Dinesh Khanna for a corporate portrait shoot, New Delhi, India. (https://www.dineshkhanna.com)

EDUCATION

2013: Completed Secondary School and Higher Secondary School from Delhi Public School, Farakka, West Bengal, India.

2014: One year Diploma in photography from APEX - Academy for Photographic Excellence, New Delhi, India.