Ashutosh shaktan (b.1989 shimla, India)is a research-based artist working with photography, who specializes in long-term projects that critically engage with the ideological aspects of documentary photography. His practice operates at the intersection of documentary photography and constructed imagery, exploring themes such as truth, authenticity, decolonization, as well as investigating the contextual language and possibilities of photography.
In addition to his artistic prctice, he actively participates in cultivating apples with his father at their residence nestled in the foothills of the West Himalayas, India. He is currently based in bristol and is pursuing his MA photography from UWE Bristol.

आशुतोष शक्तान (जन्म 1989 शिमला, भारत) फोटोग्राफी के क्षेत्र में काम करने वाले एक शोध-आधारित कलाकार हैं, जो उन दीर्घकालिक परियोजनाओं में विशेषज्ञता रखते हैं जो वृत्तचित्र फोटोग्राफी के वैचारिक पहलुओं के साथ आलोचनात्मक रूप से जुडी हुई है। उनका अभ्यास दस्तावेज़ी फोटोग्राफी और निर्मित इमेजरी के चौराहे पर संचालित होता है, सत्य, प्रामाणिकता, डिकोलोनाइजेशन जैसे विषयों की खोज के साथ-साथ प्रासंगिक भाषा और फोटोग्राफी की संभावनाओं की जांच करता है। 
अपने कलात्मक अभ्यास के अलावा, वह अपने पिता के साथ भारत के पश्चिमी हिमालय की तलहटी में स्थित अपने पैतृक निवास पर सेब की खेती में सक्रिय रूप से भाग लेते हैं।
वह वर्तमान में ब्रिस्टल में स्थित हैं और UWE ब्रिस्टल से फोटोग्राफी में एमए कर रहे हैं।



Early Chronology and career highlights


  • 2024 - MA photography UWE bristol.
  • 2023 - Afghan box camera workshops at Arnolfini and UWE Bristol.
  • 2023 - Group exhibition, Centre space gallery, Bristol.
  • 2022 - First pages, Group exhibition, Rautenstrauch joest museum, Cologne.
  • 2022 - Alkazi foundation theatre photography grant (Special mention)
  • 2021 - Teaching position at Chitkara University.
  • 2021 - Criticae masterclass with Max pinckers.
  • 2020 - Shergill Sundaram arts foundation grant (Special mention).
  • 2020 - Riga photomonth group exhibition.
  • 2019 - Conducted a 7-day photography workshop in his hometown Shimla.
  • 2018 - Angkor photo workshops with Sohrab hura and Antoine d’agata.
  • 2018 - International class in documentary photography and photojournalism, Hannover, Germany.
  • 2017-2018 - worked on various small projects and assignments.
  • 2016 - Exhibition at the visual arts gallery, India habitat centre.
  • 2016 - Opened a small library in the village of Bandapani, where he made his first Long term photography project.
  • 2015 - Fellowship for photography, India habitat centre.
  • 2014 - Travelled first time across the country with a camera, was chased by elephants and survived a flood.
  • 2014 - Stumbled upon Sohrab hura’s ‘Life is elsewhere’ and Raghubir singh’s ‘Ganges’.
  • 2013 - Bought his first camera from the money which was meant to buy a Computer to pursue his Masters in labour studies.






Contact
Ashutoshshaktan@gmail.com
+447442043124