Santosh Korthiwada is a mid-career photographic artist based in Calgary, Canada, whose digital collages explore themes of memories, migration, and identity. Drawing on a personal photo archive spanning 1996 to the present, his work layers fragmented imagery to evoke impermanence and resilience, inspired by Advaita Vedanta and Wabi Sabi.
His series Inseparable Fragments, currently touring southern Alberta schools and libraries, reflects his journey from Hyderabad, India, to Canada. His forthcoming project, Experiments with Truth, delves into abstract explorations of perception and truth, pushing the boundaries of digital collage.
Korthiwada’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Alberta Society of Artists, Exposure Photography Festival, and Indian Photography Festival. He has received grants from the Calgary Arts Development and Edmonton Arts Council, and his photography has been featured in publications like Fraction Magazine and Lookbook Magazine. Beyond his artistic practice, Korthiwada engages with communities through workshops and residencies, using visual storytelling to address social issues. His work seeks to connect global audiences through conceptual narratives, aligning with his vision of art as a tool for dialogue and transformation.
EDUCATION
2017 M.F.A. Photography, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, USA
2000 B.F.A. Applied Arts, SVCFA, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2025 Alberta Society of Artists, “Artist’s Lens ‘Identity’,” Calgary, Canada
2024–26 TREX Southwest Traveling Exhibition, Alberta, Canada
2024 Inseparable Fragments, Art Gallery of St. Albert, Canada
2024 Exposure Photography Festival, Contemporary Calgary, Canada
2023 Fraction Magazine 15th Anniversary Issue, United States
2023 Pumphouse Theatre: Quenten Doolittle Memorial Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2019 Indian Photography Festival, Hyderabad, India
2018 IPF Portrait Prize Screenings & Head On Photo Festival, Paddington Town Hall, Australia
2017 Consciousness (Solo), Goethe-Zentrum, Hyderabad, India
2017 Collective#2: LoosenArt Group Show, Alembic Gallery, Rome, Italy
SELECTED AWARDS & GRANTS
2023 Collective Artists Grant, CSPACE & Calgary Arts Development
2020 Individual Artists Grant, Edmonton Arts Council
2017 Portrait Prize, Finalist, Indian Photography Festival
2017 2nd Place, American Photographic Artists, Something Personal Exhibition
2016 3rd Place, Moscow International Foto Awards (MIFA)
SELECTED RESIDENCIES & WORKSHOPS
2025 Artist Residency, Olds High School, Alberta, Canada
2025 Art for Social Change Talk, UNESCO Conference, Olds High School, Alberta, Canada
2025 Collage Workshop, Ecole Woodman School, Calgary, Canada
2024 Artist Talk, “Visual Storytelling through a Series of Photographs,” Bert Church High School, Airdrie, Canada
2024 Art Facilitation, Art for Social Change Congress, Calgary Arts Development
2023 Artist Residency, THA BLOC Collective, CSPACE Eau Claire & Calgary Arts Development
2019 Workshop on Visual Storytelling, Images Alberta & London Drugs, Edmonton, Canada
2018 Volunteer Photographer & Educator, Action for Healthy Communities, Edmonton, Canada
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS & INTERVIEWS
2024 Double Feature, Lookbook Magazine, Germany
2022 Featured Project, Absence, PRISM Publications
2020 Featured Artist, Edmonton Arts Council
2018 Featured Artist & Interview, Udatommo Photography
2017 Feature Article, “Beyond the Image,” Deccan Chronicle, India
PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT
2023-2025–Board of Directors, Exposure Photography Festival, Calgary, Canada
2017 Juror, B.F.A. Submissions, Spring Show, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, USA
2017 Guest Lecture, Portfolio Development, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, USA
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