Sessions
ಚಿತ್ತಾರ ಕಲೆ: Chittara Art
Geetha Bhat, Smitha Tumuluru and Namrata Cavale
Bio
Smitha Tumuluru is a documentary photographer-writer, specializing in research-based visual narratives that focus on rural communities, exploring livelihoods, gender, art, and culture. She is the co-author of the book Deevara Chittara: The Art Form, the People, Their Culture. Since 2017, she has been documenting Tamil Nadu’s Irular tribe, publishing a series of feature stories on People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI).
Smitha won the 2024 Feature of the Year award at the Rainbow Lit Fest – Queer & Inclusive, for her impactful storytelling. She is one of the 25 photographers featured in the Women in Photography-India project by ZIIP Foundation. Smitha collaborates with grassroots organizations on visual projects. With a background in the development sector, she blends photography, research and writing to bring depth to narratives of underrepresented communities. In 2021, she founded Photokari, an online platform offering Fine Art prints of photographs from her collections. A Women in Photography–India featured artist, her work has been exhibited internationally.