About the Artist 

Cholamandal Artists’ Village, Chennai — 2013

Photograph originally published in The Deccan Chronicle, Chennai Edition

Journalist: Tuba Rakshan 

About the Artist 

I work across art, film, photography, and writing as a continuous practice. My work is rooted in observation and presence — in the quiet shifts of mood, atmosphere, and everyday life that shape how we feel and remember.

I began my career in advertising and mainstream Indian cinema, working across multiple departments including production design and art direction. My visual foundation developed through my formative training under Padma Shri Thota Tharani. I have contributed to film projects including Uyirode Uyiraga, Beti No. 1, Branchie, Kadhalar Dhinam, Mudhalvan, Kushi, Calcutta Mail, Khajuraho, Nayak, Run, Ullam Ketkume, and Sachien. That period grounded my approach to collaborative process, visual construction, and long-form creative rhythm.

My time within the Cholamandal Artists’ Village community in Chennai shaped my understanding of studio practice and materiality, emphasizing dialogue, discipline, and shared practice. These experiences continue to inform how I approach collaboration and creative work today — steady, intuitive, and grounded in process.

My work has been presented with Dakshina Chitra, Prakriti Foundation, Apparao Galleries, the Association of British Scholars / British Council, and at The Hindu Lit for Life Festival. My artworks are held in private collections in India, the United States, and France.

I continue to work across independent cinema, visual art, and writing — maintaining a studio practice that is steady, attentive, and shaped by daily engagement.

I am currently based between Pune and Mumbai, working independently across visual and written mediums.
I am open to collaborations, commissions, and interdisciplinary projects.

Kaniz Fatima Khan

Selected Press