A World At War
Jindal School of Journalism & Communications
2024
Explore the role of photojournalism in documenting conflict, revealing human resilience, courage, and hope while capturing the realities of war through powerful visual storytelling that informs, engages, and inspires audiences.
By Aliefya Vahanvaty
Independent Curator
Our curatorial mission here was not merely to chronicle conflicts around the world. It was to illuminate the social and political complexities of the human condition during war and its aftermath. The meanings of photographs are never fixed, are not contained solely within the photographs themselves, and rely on a combination of the viewer’s sensitivity, knowledge, and understanding and the specific context in which the image is seen. We have juxtaposed the photographs with poems and quotes to lend further texture to the images. The images are part of an ongoing conversation, not just with the past but also with the future.
The exhibition focuses on the work of twelve international photographers who have dedicated their careers as journalists, documentarians, and artists to depicting the consequences of armed conflict: Amnon Gutman (Ukraine War), Altaf Qadri (Kashmir), Asma Waguih (Arab Spring), Claire Thomas (Palestine), Prashanth Vishwanathan (Mumbai 26/11), Rafiq Maqbool (Afghanistan), and Saumya Khandelwal (Delhi Riots). This exhibition also includes a selection of images from Danish Siddiqui’s collection, and together, these images represent conflicts both past and present that highlight the intersections of modern warfare and photojournalism.
Each day, photojournalists across the world risk their lives, mental health, and well-being to offer snapshots of humanity’s darkest moments and also, perhaps, its most humane and hopeful ones. As you make your way through the exhibition, which follows no particular order, we ask you to pause, ponder, and walk in the shoes of people in the frame, those not in the frame, and especially those taking the picture.
Altaf Qadri, an esteemed and award-winning photojournalist, has been a stalwart in international photojournalism. His journey commenced with news and feature coverage for the European Press Photo Agency (EPA) and progressed to the Associated Press. Qadri’s lens has documented everything from political upheavals and cultural narratives to major natural disasters. A 2007 National Geographic All Roads Fellow, he boasts an array of accolades, including two World Press Photo wins and numerous Photographer of the Year International awards. Qadri has shared his insights through lectures at prestigious institutions like Stanford University’s Aurora Forum, Los Angeles College of Arts, National Geographic Headquarters in Washington DC, and others.
Amnon Gutman, a photographer bridging the Middle East and Europe, passionately captures global humanitarian and environmental narratives. Internationally acclaimed, his work graces the pages of Foreign Policy, Le Figaro, Die Zeit, and Neue Zurcher Zeitung, among others. Collaborating with ICRC, MSF, and the UN worldwide, Gutman’s lens narrates stories exhibited across the US, Europe, Australia, and Japan. Featured in impactful projects like “Ukraine: A War Crime,” “Space,” and “This Day of Change,” his images resonate globally. Growing up in a war-conflicted region, Gutman is deeply aware of the possibility of suffering and loss. Photography empowers him. His images point to the universality of vulnerability and fragility in the face of violence and disease and the tenacity of the human spirit. His accolades include prestigious awards from the Bayeux-Calvados Award for War Correspondent, Pictures of the Year International (POYI), UNICEF Photo Of The Year Award (POY), National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), Istanbul Photo Award, and HIPA Photography Award.
Asmaa Waguih is an independent photojournalist in her hometown of Cairo. She has over two decades of experience working with top agencies across the globe. She worked as a freelance reporter in Iraq for three years, where she developed a love for pictures over words. Later, she received several assignments that focused on the Arab world and the Islamic community in such countries as Gaza, Iraq, and Pakistan. She worked for the Reuters News Agency for eight years. She has extensively covered the major conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, and the Arab Spring in Egypt. She has won many awards for her work in Egypt and Syria, including the 2012 Reuters’ Photojournalist of the Year Award of Excellence, General News Single, and the China International Photo Prize (CHIPP).
Claire Thomas, an esteemed photojournalist, hails from Wales and presently divides her time between the UK and Egypt. Her focus on photojournalism spans critical subjects such as political and military conflicts, human rights, and humanitarian and environmental crises. From refugee camps in Europe to the frontlines against ISIS in Iraq, Claire has contributed impactful photo essays to leading global newspapers, magazines, and news agencies. Her exceptional work earned recognition at the 2023 Amnesty International UK Media Awards for its profound impact, specifically for coverage in northeast Syria. Claire’s photography has garnered accolades, including UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards, Press Gazette British Journalism Awards for Photojournalist of the Year, and inclusion in Women Photograph’s 2019 Year in Pictures. Furthermore, Claire has served as a judge for various international photography competitions.
Danish Siddiqui was a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist who headed the Reuters multimedia team in India as its Chief Photographer. Before his foray into photojournalism, Danish was a television correspondent with India’s leading news networks. As a photojournalist, Danish covered several important stories in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. His works included covering the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the COVID-19 pandemic in India, Indian citizenship law protests, Sri Lanka Easter bombing victims, the Rohingya refugee crisis, Hong Kong protests, Nepal earthquakes, Mass Games in North Korea, and living conditions of asylum seekers in Switzerland. Danish’s work was widely published in scores of magazines, newspapers, slideshows, and galleries, and he was honored with various photojournalism awards globally.
Prashanth Viswanathan, a seasoned freelance photographer, brings a wealth of experience to his craft, specializing in news and assignment stories spanning the diverse landscapes of India. Since embarking on his professional journey in 2006, Prashanth has collaborated with esteemed entities such as newswires (Reuters, Bloomberg, Getty), newspapers (New York Times, International Herald Tribune, The National), and prominent magazines (Forbes, Businessweek, Time, Newsweek). His lens has also been engaged by non-governmental organizations, including UNICEF, Save The Children, International Labour Organization, and Action Aid, along with various feature agencies. Prashanth’s versatile portfolio reflects his dedication to capturing compelling narratives across different realms.
Rafiq Maqbool, a seasoned photojournalist, has been a staff photographer for the Associated Press, stationed in Mumbai, India, since 2009. His lens has skillfully captured the complexities of South Asia’s troubled landscapes, with a particular focus on his homeland, Kashmir. Rafiq’s dedication to documenting militancy and violence is evident in his coverage of historical events such as the Kargil War and the 2005 earthquake. His journalistic journey extends beyond Kashmir to cover the conflict in Afghanistan, the Bangladesh floods of 2004, tsunami-affected regions in Sri Lanka in 2005, and the end of the Sri Lankan civil war in 2009. In 2022, Rafiq’s lens documented another political upheaval in Sri Lanka, showcasing his enduring commitment to capturing impactful narratives. Recognized with several international awards and accolades, Rafiq’s work was part of an AP team package that was a runner-up for a Pulitzer Prize in 2010 and a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography.
Saumya Khandelwal, a distinguished photojournalist based in New Delhi, contributes to TIME, National Geographic, and The New York Times. Recognized as a Getty Images Instagram Grantee for her project ‘Child Brides of Shravasti,’ Saumya focuses on gender and environmental issues. Her work features in National Geographic’s 100 Best Photos of the Century and TIME’s Top 10 Photos of 2021. She was nominated for the World Press Photo 6X6 Global Talent Program. Saumya has a diverse journalism and documentary photography portfolio, with notable contributions to The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, and collaborations with NGOs like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Malala Fund, and Acumen. Saumya’s impactful work received the National Foundation of India Award in 2017 and has been exhibited globally, including at the Getty Images Gallery in London and the Foreign Correspondent’s Club in Hong Kong.