Jalandhar student wins best photography award

Kunj Arora, a student of Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar, was awarded a prize for Best Photography by Punjab Press Club. He won a cash prize of Rs 5000.

The photography competition was themed around Punjab’s culture and heritage. In the photograph clicked by Kunj, he showcased an elderly man sitting next to a tea stall in the backdrop of an antique door. “I titled the photograph ‘purana sheher (old city),’” the Apeejay student said. His photograph was also exhibited at the 6th Art Exhibition at the Indian Academy of Fine Arts, Amritsar.

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Kunj, who is pursuing a master’s degree in Fine Arts, is extremely passionate about photography. In 2018, he won the first position in the zonal and state-level Punjab Skills Competition conducted by Punjab Skill Development Mission. He also bagged the first prize in spot photography at Punjab State Youth Festival 2020, hosted by Chandigarh University. “I started photography about five years ago. And I love Indian street photography the most, where everything is organic. And you never know what you might encounter on a street; everything is in motion, and it is a challenging task. When I am clicking photographs, I also like to interact with passersby and know their stories,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Apeejayite has been actively participating in various photography events at his college. In 2021, his photography was exhibited at the Annual Art Gallery by Dr Stya Paul Art Gallery, named after Apeejay’s founder chairman. His talent was also recognised at the 4^th Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav 2020 International Online Art Exhibition for a photograph titled: “Caged”.

“It is my dream to be able to pursue a career in photography,” Kunj signed off.