Curator Selection / 2022 / /

• Photographer
  Payal Kakkar, India
• Category
  Asia
• Website
  http://www.payalkakkar.in/
• Instagram
  https://www.instagram.com/payaldewankakkar/

Children of untitled migrants learn to pick plastics with resale value from an early age and they lose their childhood to the landfill. Bhalaswa Landfill of Delhi is their playground, school and work place. In the photograph, the unconcerned child, unruffled by the dangers walks confidently over burning garbage. Growing up he has seen a burning landfill throw toxic fumes every summer. This year is different, the landfill has been burning for 3 months episodically due to trapped methane in the landfill site and severe heat wave in Delhi and temperatures soaring to 118 deg. Fahrenheit.

I am a self-taught photo artist from India who blurs the lines between documentary and art photography. Exploring themes from architectural heritage to landscape and environment conservation, my work focuses on color, line and form to make an emotional connection with the viewer. Having specialized in garbage treatment processes, I use my photographic practice as a way to have a more immediate impact on conservation efforts. My environmental photographs focus on landscapes impacted by human activity, exploring the impact of extraction and over-consumption on the communities who live there.

Awards My film, 'Requiem of a Mangrove Forest' was selected to be screened as a 'Special Presentation' at International Film Festival of India 2024, Goa. Her work has been recognized by the Earth Photo 2025, Tokyo International Foto Awards 2024 and 2023, Prix de la Photographie de Paris, Indian Photo Festival 2022 and Budapest International Foto Awards 2022. It was the finalist for the Chennai Photo Biennale 2022 Iyarkai Grant and for the 'State of the World' Paris Photo Prize (PX3), Sienna Drone Awards in 2021 and 2022.