09/30/2026
The Museum of Contemporary Photography and Columbia College Chicago are pleased to announce Sujata Setia as the 2026–27 recipient of the Diane Dammeyer Fellowship in Photographic Arts and Social Issues. Now in its 11th cycle, the fellowship supports socially engaged photographers in developing new work that addresses human rights and social issues through sustained engagement with communities.
Setia is an Indian-born British artist whose interdisciplinary practice combines photography, participatory methods, and material interventions to examine gender-based violence, inherited trauma, and the long-term consequences of childhood abuse. Since 2020, she has been developing A Thousand Cuts, a project exploring domestic abuse within South Asian communities through survivor testimony and collaborative image-making. Setia has worked with survivor communities through organizations including Shewise UK and WeRestart, and has received support from King’s College London and the Economic and Social Research Council for a collaborative project with women embroidery artisans in Kashmir.
During her fellowship, Setia will spend time in Chicago working with local communities as she continues to develop A Thousand Cuts, culminating in a public presentation of the work in 2027.
