Open Call: Umrao Singh Sher-Gil Grant for Photography 2026
Sher-Gil Sundaram Arts Foundation (SSAF) is pleased to announce the ninth edition of the Umrao Singh Sher-Gil Grant for Photography.
The Umrao Singh Sher-Gil (USG) Grant for Photography was established in 2015 in the name of Vivan Sundaram’s grand-father, Umrao Singh Sher-Gil (1870–1954), a photographer of exceptional talent, whose principal subjects were his family and himself. He produced a family album of vast proportions, and his self-portraits spanning almost 60 years make up a unique archive. In 2007, the first retrospective exhibition of Umrao Singh’s vintage prints was held at the Rencontres d’Arles photography festival in France, followed by exhibitions at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi and Mumbai, India. Umrao Singh is regarded as a pioneering figure of the mise-en-scène or staged photography in India.
For the USG Grant 2026, SSAF pledges two grants of INR 5,00,000 each, to photography projects working with staged/constructed images and to documentary photography, while recognising the blurred boundaries between the methodologies and forms of both genres.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be Indian citizens who reside in India.
- There is no age limit for applicants.
- Individuals as well as collaborative projects may apply.
- Applicants must not hold any other fellowship/grant/prize for their proposed project.
- Applicants may propose either an ongoing project that needs financial assistance for completion or a new body of work.
- Proposals for making photobooks or any form of exhibition production do not fall within the remit of the grant.
Selection process and timeline
- The last date for submission of applications is 20 September 2026.
- An independent 3-person jury will select the two grantees.
To learn more about the application form and guidelines, click here: https://ssaf.in/grants/usg-grant-for-photography-2026/
For any queries, please write to us at usg.photogrant@gmail.com or call at (+91-11) 46170894 (11 am–5 pm, Monday through Friday).
