As a spontaneous reaction to the intensifying socio-political current realities in Sri Lanka the Goethe-Institut Chennai and Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Chennai Photo Biennale have selected four emerging photographers with an ongoing documentary practice.

Ms. Pirainila Krishnarajah, Media Studies graduate from the University of Jaffna is one of the winners. Her focus of interest lies within community-based issues. She directed a documentary film based on Transgenders in Jaffna called “Naangkalum Irukkiram”. Pirainila is a social activist and writer that wants to integrate using photography more in her work to give her subjects a passionate voice through the media she is using.

The organizers will support the selected winners by awarding the photographers with grants to continue their ongoing practice, documenting the multifold economic hardships, the people’s protest movement, and other topics of current relevance in their respective surroundings.

The selection of photographers was made, taking into account the desire to support photographers with potential and interesting practice, from a variety of locations across the country and keeping to a gender balance.

Ms. Pirainila Krishnarajah produced the photo feature for the contest on ‘The story of Kurunagar Fisherfolk in crisis’, Kurunagar is a coastal village in Jaffna, in the north of Sri Lanka. It is a densely populated place, where according to the government population register, around 2300 families have taken in fishing as their main profession.