Achievers

Kashmiri photographer receives Ian Parry Scholarship

Srinagar: A Kashmiri photographer, Sharafat Ali has received the Ian Parry Scholarship, an award for achievement, for his work.

His profile featuring on the Ian Parry Scholarship website describes his work with three other photographers around the world who have received this honour.

“Who am I – Uncertain Identity: Kashmir is often seen by many as a territorial dispute between South Asian nuclear rivals: India and Pakistan. But in the last 28 years, the humanitarian cost of the conflict has been extreme. Tens of thousands of people have died, thousands have been orphaned and around 8,000 people are missing. Sharafat shot these photographs in different areas of Kashmir over recent years. During this time, Kashmir witnessed some of the deadliest anti-India protests in the history of 28 years of the conflict. More than 100 children and teenagers died during 2016 alone. Sharafat’s work deals with conflict, politics, faith and daily life in the region,” he writes.

In a Facebook post, Sharafat feels ‘honoured’ to have received the scholarship and says thanks to his mentors and teachers in helping him reach the place he is in.

Sharafat Ali (b. 1994) lives in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. He is currently studying Visual Documentary Photography at the AKS School of Photography.

Ian Parry (12 April 1965 – 28 December 1989) was a United Kingdom, Welsh photographer and photojournalist who worked as a freelance and on assignment for newspapers including The Mail on Sunday, The Times and The Sunday Times. He was killed at the age of 24 in an aircraft crash in Romania during the overthrow of Communism. In his honour, a scholarship fund was set up to encourage and help young photographers.

After Parry’s death, the Picture Editor of The Sunday Times Aidan Sullivan worked with Parry’s family and friends and set up the Ian Parry Scholarship Fund. The fund announced in September 1990 that it would offer photographers aged up to 24 funding of £1,000 plus a further £1,000 for equipment to cover a foreign assignment of their choice.

Sharafat, however, said that a funding of 3500$ will be made in regard to the scholarship.

“Equipment from Canon, work will be exhibited in London and will appear in Sunday Times magazine. But best of all, I will be accepted into the final list of nominees for the World Press Photo’s Joop Swart Masterclass in Amsterdam,” Sharafat said while speaking to the Free Press Kashmir. 

“Joop Swart Masterclass is a dream of every photojournalist and documentary photographer. Moreover, I’ll be travelling to London to receive this prestigious grant,” he added.

Some of his work:

 

A post shared by Sharafat Ali (@ibnali10) on

 

A post shared by Sharafat Ali (@ibnali10) on

A post shared by Sharafat Ali (@ibnali10) on

His work can be followed at his Instagram profile here: Sharafat Ali.

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