ENTRY DESCRIPTION
The vibrancy of India is often known seen framed in colour. However, monochrome environmental portraits capturing everyday life in India present something more emotional for me to create and connect with as a photographer.

The Taj Mahal may be one of the most photographed pieces within the Indian subcontinent. As a world wonder, it brings in anywhere between 40,000 to 70,000 people on any given day of the week. As a photographer, the true wonder of what I see here comes from its everyday existence and how people experience this world heritage site.

The wonder witnessed is in how a colossal tomb is maintained and survived over centuries, symbolizes a narrative of love and acts as a gathering space that shapes people's worldviews.

In creating this environmental portrait, I aim to open a window into a photojournalistic narrative of the Taj Mahal and how it strengthens an understanding of my cultural heritage by finding connections to spaces where we witness the everyday wonders of people and places.

AUTHOR
Sid Naidu is an artist & photographer who uses the camera to tell stories about culture and humanity.

Earning a Bachelor in Arts & Contemporary Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2010 and completing a graduate certificate in International Development at Centennial College in 2019, Sid built his independent freelance practice around the creative industries and community building.

Drawing inspiration from street arts, cultural movements and global development, he worked and lived across Asia, Australia and the Americas to create bodies of photographic works and collaborate on development projects.

Through the lens of a creator and changemaker, Sid has worked with organizations including Artscape, Action Against Hunger Canada, City of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, Centennial College Complex Canada, Toronto Community Housing, Toronto Public Library, TEDx and UNICEF Australia.

His personal journey led him to co-found “Scarborough Made,” a collective that documents stories of humanity through photography and filmmaking. Over the past two years, he has grown the project as the managing director to raise over 100K in funding to provide creative mentorship opportunities to youth and develop public art installations in underserved communities.

In 2020 Sid founded SNCD Inc. as a creative venture to develop social impact projects that can support artists, start-up brands and socially-minded organizations in their purpose-driven work.

For 2022, Sid has been awarded grant funding from the City of Toronto, Toronto Arts Council & The Toronto Public Library, to develop arts programming that can engage youth around documentary storytelling and the visual arts and a public art installation in partnership with the Toronto Transit Commission.

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