Project Overview
The aftertaste of loneliness aims to document and amplify the lived experiences of queer migrants in India — individuals who often navigate complex intersections of displacement, identity, and resilience — by creating a visual archive that resists both assimilation and erasure. Through its layered use of photographs, archival imagery, and mixed media, the work aspires to offer both imaginative and real representations of what queer liberation might look like in an Indian context. This project began as a personal exploration of queerness and home: how queer bodies carry grief, memory, and longing when dislocated from their places of origin. It would culminate in a photo book that blends documentary and magical realism, expanding from a deeply personal narrative into a broader collective portrait of queer India.
Expected Impact
By documenting queer migrants in Indian cities, the project situates queer liberation as a lived negotiation that is shaped by economic pressures, chosen families, and creative resilience. It contributes to broader cultural conversations about visibility, intersectionality, and the ongoing struggle for dignity in a country where queerness is still often marginalised. The project interprets the lived experiences of queer bodies as speculative visuals that offer a peek into what the future could hold for us. Ultimately, the goal is to build a body of work that reflects the reality of queer life in India today and inspires a reimagining of community, home, and freedom.
Applicant Background
I’m an editorial photographer based in Mumbai, originally from Patna, Bihar. My work is shaped by the textures and atmospheres of the place I grew up in, a city where time lingers and nostalgia feels like a permanent state. Across all the hats I’ve worn, my work has been guided by a desire to translate the complexity of my subjects into something intimate — offering onlookers a window into lives, practices, and subcultures they may never otherwise encounter. By pairing the documented with the speculative, I aim to build a visual world where memory, identity, and imagination coalesce.