The Wrestlers of India

• Prize
• Photographer
  Sandra Chen Weinstein, United States
• Date of Photograph
  online
• Socials
• Website
  http://SandraChenPhoto.com

Pehlwani, modern Indian wrestling, is a synthesis of an indigenous form of wrestling that dates back at least to the 5th century BC and a Persian form of wrestling brought into the Indian Subcontinent by the Mughals. Practitioners of the sport attend training in the early morning and adhere to a regimen that is much like a religion. The ashaka or wrestling arena is also a shrine to a god and features a 20x20 foot sand wretling pit that is groomed daily by the wrestlers.

• Biography
  Sandra Chen Weinstein is a photographer, ceramist, and independent curator. Born in Taiwan, she has worked and lived in DC, Japan, China for American agency, and traveled for photo assignments to many countries. Early in her photo career in 2009, she was chosen as the only American photographer among hundreds of applicants for Magnum Masterclasses in The Netherlands and in London, England.
• Awards
  Sandra’s photography has received many outstanding National and International Awards including Photo London x Nikon Emerging photographer 2025. Nomination for Prix Pictet HUMAN awards London. Winner OpenWall Vol#4 British Journal of Photography. CENTER Director’s First Place Award Santa Fe. First Place for KLPA Portrait award, First Place for PX3 Sport, IPA Deepest Perspective award and other IPA awards. Her works has been exhibited in Museum of Cotemporary Art, Museum of Fine Art Washington, Aperture Gallery, Annenberg Space for Photography, Florida Museum of Photographic Art, Griffin Museum of Photography, USC Pacific Museum, among many others. Her work has been featured in The European Photography Magazines, French Culture Papier, FOTOMagaines, American Photography AI-AP Books & Archives, Color, Black and White Magazines, etc. Her work is in several private collections.