Viren Desai, born in 1959 in Mumbai is one of the leading Indian Advertising and Fine Art Photographer.
Education: He has a Bachelor of Commerce from The Sydenham College, Mumbai (class of 1980).
But the love for photography took him to The Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, USA, where he got a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography. (class of 1985).
He then moved to New York where he assisted over 100 prominent New York advertising and Fine art photographers like David Langley, Frank Moscasti, Wayne Eastep, Mitchel Gray, Seltzer, Ric Cohn, Hashi, Chris Callis, and James Wojcik amongst others.
These two years in New York gave him a deep seated experience into the real world of advertising photography as well a fantastic learning experience in seeing the masters translate ideas into images.
Many people questioned his moving back to India in 1987, but his answer to that is “because INDIA is home”.
He set up his studio in Mumbai in August 1987 and has been freelancing since then.
Campaigns include work done for Hero Honda, Concern India, Channel V, Visa, Tamara Capital, OSL P. Ltd, Directorate of Tourism, Pepsi, Hindustan Lever, Rosemount Computers, Soma Magazine, Bombay Dyeing. He is well known for his detailed and exquisite imagery of jewellery, working with some of the top brands and companies like Sunraj Diamonds, Shrenuj, DIA, Lume’, Kantilal Chotalal, K.P.Sanghavi, Ravindra Heraeus, amongst others.
The work done for these clients encompass a broad spectrum of images from Fashion, Jewellery, to Still life and Fine Art. This is a catalogue of work, which has been most rewarding for him and most representative of his approach to photography.
His love for Indian Classical Music led him to many music festivals and from this arose a desire to know the person behind the celestial music. Viren chose the camera to do this probing for him. Photographing 22 of the world famous musicians, the images are in Black & White and Colour which explore the artist’s relationship with his/her guru, their devotion to their art form, their wish to preserve it through training the next generation of musicians and their fulfillment through the concert stage.
He is in his own words “grateful to all the musicians who let him into their lives, homes and concert halls” and allow him a glimpse into their very minds.
These images formed the basis for his first solo exhibition in June 1995, held at The Centre for Photography as an Art Form, at CPA’s Piramal Gallery, National Centre for the performing Arts, Mumbai. He hopes to have a book published soon on this series.
Solo Exhibition: 1995: “The Grand Maestros of Indian Music” at The Centre for Photography as an Art Form, at CPA’s Piramal Gallery, National Centre for the performing Arts, Mumbai.
Group exhibitions:
1990: AIPA of India, AIPA of India, Group exhibition of Fine Art Photographs.
1992: AIPA of India, AIPA of India, Group exhibition of Fine Art Photographs.
1994: AIPA of India, AIPA of India, Group exhibition of Fine Art Photographs.
1997: Images, a group exhibition of Fine Art Photographs by The India Picture Agency.
1998 : Exhibit ‘A’, Exhibit 'A' is a celebration of personal non-commercial images created by India’s foremost advertising photographers, held by The Photographers Guild of India.
1999: Exhibit ‘A’, Exhibit 'A' is a celebration of personal non-commercial images created by India’s foremost advertising photographers, held by The Photographers Guild of India.
2000: Exhibit ‘A’, Exhibit 'A' is a celebration of personal non-commercial images created by India’s foremost advertising photographers, held by The Photographers Guild of India.
2001: Exhibit ‘A’, Exhibit 'A' is a celebration of personal non-commercial images created by India’s foremost advertising photographers, held by The Photographers Guild of India.
2002: Exhibit ‘A’. Exhibit 'A' is a celebration of personal non-commercial images created by India’s foremost advertising photographers, held by The Photographers Guild of India.
2003: Exhibit ‘A’, Exhibit 'A' is a celebration of personal non-commercial images created by India’s foremost advertising photographers, held by The Photographers Guild of India.
2004: Exhibit ‘A’, Exhibit 'A' is a celebration of personal non-commercial images created by India’s foremost advertising photographers, held by The Photographers Guild of India.
2005: Exhibit ‘A’, Exhibit 'A' is a celebration of personal non-commercial images created by India’s foremost advertising photographers, held by The Photographers Guild of India.
2006: Exhibit ‘A’, Exhibit 'A' is a celebration of personal non-commercial images created by India’s foremost advertising photographers, held by The Photographers Guild of India.
2007: “Bees Saal Baad”- a group exhibition of Fine Art Photographs by The Dinodia Picture Agency, held at The Point of View Art Gallery, Colaba.
2008: Exhibit ‘A’, Exhibit 'A' is a celebration of personal non-commercial images created by India’s foremost advertising photographers, held by The Photographers Guild of India.
2009: “Human condition, Life Goes on- a group exhibition of Fine Art Photographs, curated by Jagdish Agarwal, at the Canon Image Lounge, Mumbai, from May 31st to June 28th 2009 .
Since 1987, he is a contributing member of DINODIA PICTURE AGENCY, which is the largest Stock Agency in Asia with over 4 million images online.
His work has been profiled in many magazines like Asian Photography, Better Photography, The Week and several books.
He was one of the first photographers in India to use High Resolution Digital photography commercially, as early as 1997.
External Links: www.virendesaiphotography.com
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