Presenting the work of visual storytellers from around the world. LAND, LABOR AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. PICTORIAL STORY LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. PICTORIAL STORY WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. PICTORIAL STORY SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. PICTORIAL STORY RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. PICTORIAL STORY DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. PICTORIAL STORY SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. PICTORIAL STORY SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. PICTORIAL STORY 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. PICTORIAL STORY THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. PICTORIAL STORY ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. PICTORIAL STORY THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. PICTORIAL STORY IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. PICTORIAL STORY UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. PICTORIAL STORY VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. PICTORIAL STORY UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. PICTORIAL STORY NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. PICTORIAL STORY THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. PICTORIAL STORY WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. PICTORIAL STORY BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. PICTORIAL STORY FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. PICTORIAL STORY VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. PICTORIAL STORY CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. PICTORIAL STORY ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement. PICTORIAL STORY BEYOND THE BRICKS Amid Bangladesh’s dynamic urban growth, Anwar Ehtesham’s photography takes us beyond statistics and headlines, revealing the hidden lives of the laborers working tirelessly in the nation’s brick kilns. PICTORIAL STORY OAXACA In Oaxaca, Tommaso Stefanori captures Día de los Muertos, exploring the convergence of life and death, human connections, and enduring cultural rituals through evocative photographs of tradition and emotion.

PICTORIAL STORY LAND, LABOR AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. April 12, 2026 PICTORIAL STORY PHOTOGRAPHY Rajesh Dhar STORY Rajesh Dhar INTRODUCTION Karen Ghostlaw SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Photography has long served as a powerful way to examine the relationship between people, land, and livelihood. In regions where agriculture shapes both culture and economy, the landscape itself becomes a living archive of tradition, labor, and survival. With patience and careful observation, photographers can reveal the stories embedded within these environments, offering viewers insight into the systems that sustain communities and the natural resources that shape daily life. For photographer Rajesh Dhar, visual storytelling is deeply connected to the social and cultural fabric of India. A graduate of the prestigious Government College of Art and Craft in Kolkata with a Bachelor of Visual Arts, Rajesh works professionally as a graphic designer while maintaining a passionate commitment to photography. His artistic practice often explores the vibrancy of India’s cultural and religious diversity, with particular attention to rural festivals and the emotional energy that emerges from communal celebration. At the same time, his work reflects a thoughtful awareness of the complexities within society, seeking to reveal both its virtues and its challenges through compelling visual narratives. In this ongoing photographic project, Rajesh turns his attention to the agricultural landscapes of West Bengal, where jute cultivation has long played an essential role in both environmental sustainability and economic livelihood. Often referred to as the ‘golden fibre,’ jute has supported generations of farmers, laborers, and artisans while offering an environmentally responsible alternative to synthetic materials. Working within the fields themselves, Rajesh documents more than a material or an industry. His photographs reveal the process of cultivation, the relationship between land, labor, and the broader network of communities sustained by this remarkable natural resource. The jute fields become a place where environmental responsibility, cultural heritage, and economic livelihood intersect. At a time when global conversations increasingly focus on sustainability and ecological balance, Rajesh’s work invites viewers to look closely at a material that has quietly supported both environment and economy for generations. By turning his attention toward the origins of this fiber, he offers a visual reflection on how traditional practices can continue to shape a more sustainable future. In India, the plastic recycling rate is around 60%. The remaining 40% of plastic waste remains uncollected and often ends up littering the environment, causing clogged drains and pollution of land and water systems. Jute, in contrast, is a 100% recyclable natural material. Transitioning to alternative sustainable materials can help mitigate the carbon intensity associated with plastic production and its impact on climate change. In this regard, the use of jute for packaging plays an important role from a sustainability perspective due to its renewable nature, biodegradability, low carbon footprint, and positive impact on soil health. Jute is often referred to as the ‘golden fiber’ because of its natural color and environmentally friendly qualities. As a natural fiber that is fully biodegradable and renewable, it provides a sustainable alternative to synthetic materials. Its cultivation contributes to environmental health by helping reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. One hectare of jute plantation can absorb up to 15 tons of carbon dioxide and release around 11 tons of oxygen during a growing season of about 100 days, offering benefits for already polluted environments. Jute plants also support soil conservation by preventing erosion and improving soil fertility through their deep-rooted system. In recent years there has been renewed global interest in jute as a sustainable alternative to synthetic materials. It is now used across various industries, including textiles, packaging, construction, and even the automotive sector. Traditionally, jute has been an integral part of the textile industry, widely used for making sacks, bags, and ropes because of its strength and durability. Its fibrous structure also makes it suitable for producing carpets, mats, and other home furnishings. The jute industry is one of the prominent industries in India. From cultivation and harvesting to processing, manufacturing, and exporting, the industry creates employment at multiple stages of the value chain. It provides direct employment to around 3.70 lakh workers and supports the livelihoods of approximately 40 lakh farm families. Farmers, factory workers, artisans, traders, and other associated personnel all depend on this sector. Jute and jute products also contribute significantly to India’s export earnings, with the country remaining one of the largest exporters of jute and jute goods in the world. Because of its versatility and environmental benefits, jute remains a valuable natural resource with the potential to contribute to a more sustainable future. By promoting the use of jute products, individuals and industries can support environmentally responsible practices while creating sustainable economic opportunities for the communities involved in its cultivation and production. © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar © Rajesh Dhar Rajesh Dhar’s photographs bring attention to a subject that is both deeply local and globally relevant. By focusing on the cultivation of jute in the fields of West Bengal, he highlights a material whose history is closely tied to the lives and livelihoods of the communities who grow and process it. His work draws attention to the people and landscapes that sustain this remarkable fiber, reminding us that environmental conversations often begin in the places where land and labor meet. Rajesh’s photography has received both national and international recognition, earning awards in competitions including the Mela Moments Photo Contest organized by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Indian Sports Photography Award, the Mangrove Photography Awards, the Fokus International Photo Awards in Albania, and the My Indian Link Photo Contest in Australia. His work has also been recognized through major publications and contests such as The Hindu’s Frame Your Festive Stories and The Times of India’s My City My Click. As this ongoing project continues to grow, Rajesh’s photographs offer an important visual record of a landscape, an industry, and a tradition that continues to shape the lives of millions. view Rajesh's portfolio website >>> instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List. read more stories >>> LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement. BEYOND THE BRICKS Amid Bangladesh’s dynamic urban growth, Anwar Ehtesham’s photography takes us beyond statistics and headlines, revealing the hidden lives of the laborers working tirelessly in the nation’s brick kilns. OAXACA In Oaxaca, Tommaso Stefanori captures Día de los Muertos, exploring the convergence of life and death, human connections, and enduring cultural rituals through evocative photographs of tradition and emotion.

We are on a mission to discover new photographers, and the most pictorial and interesting photo stories out there. SPOTLIGHT / RAJESH DHAR Kolkata INDIA AARON RUBINO ABBIE BRIGGS ABDULLA SHINOSE CK ABHAY PATEL ABHISHEK SINGH ADAM SINCLAIR ADESH GAUR ADRIAN PELEGRIN ADRIAN TAN ADRIAN WHEAR AGATA LO MONACO AHMET HOJAMYRADOV AJ BERNSTEIN ALAN THEXTON ALEJANDRO DAVILA ALESSANDRO GIUGNI ALEX FRAYNE ALEX GOTTFRIED BONDER ALEX RUTHERFORD ALEXANDRA AVLONITIS ALEXANDROS ZILOS ALEXEY STRECHEN ALICIA HABER AMY HOROWITZ AMY NEWTON McCONNEL GET ON THE LIST © John St.

The Pictorial List is a global online magazine exploring the beauty and complexity of all things photography. LAND, LABOR AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. Latest features INTERVIEW GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. PICTORIAL STORY RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. PICTORIAL STORY DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. PICTORIAL STORY SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. PICTORIAL STORY SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. PICTORIAL STORY 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. PICTORIAL STORY THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. INTERVIEW WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. INTERVIEW WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. INTERVIEW ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. INTERVIEW THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. INTERVIEW IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. INTERVIEW WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. PICTORIAL STORY ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. INTERVIEW DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience and hope. WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. OPEN CALL IN AN INSTANT Have instant film tucked in a drawer or fresh from the camera? We are gathering Polaroids, Instax, and all peel-apart surprises for this fun instant exhibition. Family snapshots, artistic experiments, awkward haircuts — every square counts. Join us and let your instant memory meet the wall. MORE INFO New York, New York! PICTORIAL STORY NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASTION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy. INTERVIEW FABRIC OF NEW YORK VISUALS Elle Clarke lives NYC — snapping its heart and hustle with her smartphone, one real city moment at a time! INTERVIEW NOD OF RECOGNITION B Jane Levine’s portraits give a playful wink — inviting a nod of recognition to the hidden stories we all carry inside. INTERVIEW NEW YORK IMPROVISATIONS Fast-moving, off-kilter, witty, raw and classic film noir define Bill Lacey's photography. PICTORIAL STORY MERMAID MAGIC AJ Bernstein captures the magic of the Mermaid Parade—where fantasy, freedom, and community come together in a sea of color and joy. INTERVIEW GOTHAM MEMORIES Jeff Rothstein clicks, time unfolds — capturing the heart of the city in timeless frames, from 1969 to today. PICTORIAL STORY TAKING THE PLUNGE Carol Dronsfield takes the plunge with the Coney Island’s Polar Bears, capturing the chill, the thrill, and the heart. INTERVIEW THE AUTHENTIC GAZE Amy Horowitz says “Don’t Smile”— and in doing so, captures the real and wonderfully unscripted faces of New York City. VOLUME ONE- NEW YORK BUY NOW FOUNDATIONS OF PRACTICE ART EXHIBITION February 07 to April 03 Foundations of Practice marks the beginning of The Pictorial List's journey - an opening not only of our new artspace, but of dialogue into the practice of the artist. CALL FOR ART CODE GIRL CODE GIRL is a curated multi-media exhibition presented as part of Women in Public Space. Following the Memorial Day Weekend mural commission, this women's and gender expansive group exhibition expands the dialogue into the Artspace through interdisciplinary practices including photography, painting, printmaking, sculpture, video, film, animation, and expanded media. MORE INFO © Parvathi Kumar, Desiree Washington (2020) join the Pictorial Community >>> Follow us on Instagram #thepictoriallist @thepictorial.list Load More SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. Interviews you may have missed REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE Camille J. Wheeler documents Austin's streets, with a particular focus on its homeless community. COMEDIANS Steve Best documents the British comedy scene, backstage and on stage, the highs and lows, and the joy of being a comedian. QUARANTINE IN QUEENS Neil Kramer's humorous and compassionate lockdown diary has gone viral. ENROUTE TO THE PINES Robert Sherman shares his documentary series about drag queens celebrating the 'Invasion of the Pines'. SERVICE INTERRUPTION Wojciech Karlinski documented Poland train stations during the pandemic, highlighting their formal and aesthetic side. VOICES OF THE NILE Voices of the Nile by Bastien Massa and Arthur Larie is a project documenting the relationship of Ethiopians with the Blue Nile. BREAKS FROM REALITY The magic only dreams are made of become reality for viewers as they engage in the poetic imagery of Mariëtte Aernoudts. BEYOND THE STORY Through her documentary photography, Christina Simons is compelled to tell the stories of those who are unable to do so themselves. © Russell Cobb Stay up to date Subscribing to The Pictorial List means joining a community that values visual storytelling. You will get exclusive content, inspiring pictorial stories, thoughtful interviews, book reviews, and more — delivered weekly to your inbox. Media Partners

RAJESH DHAR My practice is informed by a Bachelor of Visual Arts from the Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata, and developed alongside my work in graphic design. Photography operates as a parallel mode of inquiry, extending beyond commercial production into sustained visual research. Through photography, I engage with the cultural and religious contexts of India. I approach these spaces as structures through which belief and social relations are produced and negotiated. My work has been presented through exhibitions, publications, and awards at national and international levels, contributing to an ongoing engagement with photography as a critical and observational discipline. LOCATION Kolkata INDIA CAMERA/S Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm, Tokina 17-35mm WEBSITE https://www.behance.net/rajeshdharfecf @RDP5.6 FEATURES // Land, Labor and the Golden Fiber

PICTORIAL STORY THE RED POPPY AND THE SUN Through lyrical visual storytelling, Mei Seva’s work between the personal and the political, the living and the residual, the intimate and the historical. August 24, 2024 PICTORIAL STORY photography MEI SEVA story MEI SEVA SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Mei Seva works as a storyteller, using photography to examine the layered narratives of human experience, migration, and socio-political change. Born in Elbasan, Albania, her practice is shaped by the experience of displacement, an understanding that informs the way she approaches people, place, and memory. Now based in New York City, Mei’s work engages contested histories and social narratives, attending to what is often overlooked or obscured. She considers how socioeconomic and political forces shape communities over time, with a continued focus on Albania. Her photographs are marked by a restrained palette and a close, intimate gaze. Graduating with a combination of Peace and Conflict Studies and Art from Hampshire College in Massachusetts, her academic background informs the conceptual framework of her practice, extending its concerns beyond representation. Her 2022 outdoor installation, funded by the Amherst Arts Council, reflects an engagement with public discourse, bringing together refugee narratives through photography. The question of heritage remains central to Mei’s work, shaped by Albania’s political and economic conditions. Through family histories, she traces broader shifts in the country’s recent past, from the fall of communism to the effects of capitalism. In her ongoing project, shot on 35mm film, Mei works through images that connect personal and collective histories, tracing continuities across generations within a changing landscape. There is one photograph imprinted in my brain of my grandpa. The photograph was taken the day I left Albania for America when I was six years old. I am sitting on his lap outside the airport, and he is wearing sunglasses that hide his red eyes, red from the tears. Despite being thousands of miles apart from them for most of my life, my grandparents have been a guiding force in my life, serving as parental figures despite the geographic, cultural and, at times, linguistic, barriers between us. Albania, a small Balkan country, is one of the most economically disadvantaged countries in Europe and has faced a mass exodus of people in the past three decades. The Albanian diaspora, estimated at 8 million, is larger than the population of the entire country, estimated at 2.8 million. Nearly every family has been touched by migration – my grandparents have faced the pains of immigration and family separation firsthand, having both of their children and all three grandchildren leave Albania. Touching on themes such as immigration, the legacy of communism, and the impacts of capitalism, my long-term photography project is a visual diary of Albania’s past and present, 35 years after the end of communism, through a personal lens. Rooted in family histories, the work explores the residues of the past and political systems, and how ideology leaves its mark on land, bodies, and collective experiences. © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva © Mei Seva In summary, Mei Seva’s body of work reflects the strength and complexity of human experience in the face of migration and societal upheaval. Through her photography, she goes beyond documentation and offers a thoughtful examination of Albania’s history and its effects on future generations. Her work sheds light on the unseen threads of displacement and identity but also encourages viewers to engage in a larger conversation about the impact of political and economic forces on individual lives. Her work serves as a reminder of the ability of art to bridge gaps, provoke introspection, and foster a deeper understanding of the human experience. view Mei Seva's portfolio Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement. BEYOND THE BRICKS Amid Bangladesh’s dynamic urban growth, Anwar Ehtesham’s photography takes us beyond statistics and headlines, revealing the hidden lives of the laborers working tirelessly in the nation’s brick kilns. OAXACA In Oaxaca, Tommaso Stefanori captures Día de los Muertos, exploring the convergence of life and death, human connections, and enduring cultural rituals through evocative photographs of tradition and emotion. BEHIND THE PLANTS Wayan Barre documents Cancer Alley residents facing pollution and economic challenges, shedding light on their resilience and the impacts of environmental injustice.

The Pictorial List was launched in January 2020 as a passion project to inspire and support the diverse community of photographers and visual storytellers. © Bill Lacey we are THE PICTORIAL LIST mission: Our mission is to support, elevate, and celebrate diverse voices through the visual arts, with a particular focus on photography as a powerful medium for storytelling. We aim to foster inclusive environments that inspire, educate, and connect visual storytellers from all backgrounds — regardless of gender, culture, race, life status, neurodiversity, or mobility — on local, national, and international platforms. By nurturing creativity in a supportive environment, we ensure that all voices are heard and visual narratives have the space to flourish. The Pictorial List Inc. is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit arts organization founded by Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico and Melanie Meggs in 2024, following the publication of their first hardcover book, The Pictorial List – Volume One – New York. United by a shared belief in the power of photography to elevate diverse voices and foster meaningful connection, Karen and Melanie co-founded the organization to expand the reach and impact of their curatorial work and to provide a platform for photographers. The Pictorial List began in 2020 as a passion project initiated by Melanie Meggs — a digital platform built to inspire and support a global community of photographers. Over time, it grew into a collaborative space for creative exchange, shaped by a dedicated team. Each member plays a vital role in helping the organization evolve while staying grounded in its founding values. … the goal of art was the vital expression of self. - Alfred Stieglitz WHY PICTORIAL? The Pictorial List was chosen as both a name and a philosophy — a nod to the Pictorialists of the early 20th century who dared to ask, “Can photography be art?” They believed in photography not just as a tool for documentation, but as a means of expression — equal to painting, sculpture, or poetry. Their photographs challenged conventions and opened new pathways for visual storytelling. At The Pictorial List, we carry that spirit forward. Like the Pictorialists, we believe in elevating the photographic voice, and we aim to spotlight those who use the camera as a brush, a mirror, a witness, or a whisper. Through our nonprofit work, we aim to advance the art and science of photography and multimedia by empowering artists — especially those from underserved, marginalized, and diverse communities — to harness visual storytelling as a means of advocacy, reflection, and creative transformation. THE PICTORIAL MAGAZINE Our digital magazine offers in-depth pictorial stories and interviews with photographers around the world. These features move beyond aesthetics, revealing the social, emotional, and personal layers behind each body of work. Whether focused on human stories, cultural shifts, or overlooked places, the photographers we feature share their worlds with generosity, honesty, and heart. At The Pictorial List, we believe in the quiet power of photography to reframe the world — and we are committed to ensuring that all voices have the opportunity to be seen, shared, and celebrated. DISCOVERY + INSPIRATION + COMMUNITY editorial team COFOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR Melanie Meggs COFOUNDER + EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico EDITOR Karin Svadlenak Gomez EDITOR Bill Lacey COMMUNITY MANAGER John St. COMMUNTY MANAGER Ibi Gowon

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2024 List. 2024 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Anna Tut ALEXANDROS ZILOS Athens GREECE AMY HOROWITZ New York UNITED STATES ANA-MARIA ALB Bukovina ROMANIA ANN PETRUCKEVITCH UNITED KINGDOM ANNA TUT Krasnogorsk City RUSSIA CARMEN SOLANA CIRES Madrid SPAIN CATIA MONTAGNA SCOTLAND/ITALY DASHA DARVAJ UMRIGAR Karachi PAKISTAN DEDIPYA BASAK Kolkata INDIA EDWIN CARUNGAY San Francisco UNITED STATES FRANCE LECLERC Chicago UNITED STATES ISABELLE COORDES Münster GERMANY JOHN KAYACAN Los Angeles UNITED STATES JUSTINE GEORGET Lyon FRANCE MARIETTE PATHY ALLEN New York UNITED STATES MATTHIAS GÖDDE Beckum GERMANY MEI SEVA New York UNITED STATES MIA DEPAOLA Washington D.C UNITED STATES NAZANIN DAVARI Tehran IRAN PAUL COOKLIN UNITED KINGDOM PEDRO VIDAL Barcelona SPAIN RAFA ROJAS São Paulo BRAZIL ROMAIN COUDRIER Marseille FRANCE ROWELL B. TIMOTEO La Union PHILIPPINES SASHA IVANOV St. Petersburg RUSSIA

Mei Seva (b.1996) works primarily with photography, as well as film and archival research, to visualize contested histories and social and political myths, examining what is erased, marginalized, and transformed just below the surface. Her work looks at how economic and political forces reshape communities and cultures, with particular attention to her homeland of Albania. Her practice falls into the post-documentary space, bringing a more lyrical and intimate perspective to sociopolitical issues. She was a 2025 Fellow in the NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program and was a Lucie Foundation Finalist in Photojournalism/Documentary. She is an MFA (Photography) candidate at Columbia University, where she brings in her earlier training in political science — with a focus on social movements, revolutions, and global inequality. MEI SEVA Mei Seva (b.1996) works primarily with photography, as well as film and archival research, to visualize contested histories and social and political myths, examining what is erased, marginalized, and transformed just below the surface. Her work looks at how economic and political forces reshape communities and cultures, with particular attention to her homeland of Albania. Her practice falls into the post-documentary space, bringing a more lyrical and intimate perspective to sociopolitical issues. She was a 2025 Fellow in the NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program and was a Lucie Foundation Finalist in Photojournalism/Documentary. She is an MFA (Photography) candidate at Columbia University, where she brings in her earlier training in political science — with a focus on social movements, revolutions, and global inequality. LOCATION New York UNITED STATES CAMERA/S Pentax K1000 with Kodak Porta 400 film WEBSITE https://meiseva.com/ @MEI__SEVA FEATURES // The Red Poppy and the Sun

JEEVAN AKASH JAYAVARTHANAN I make my photos by walking, watching, and spending more time in a place than I need to. I don’t plan shots or follow a set idea. I arrive, take my time, and let things happen naturally. Most of my photos come from moments that seem ordinary at first. I work by instinct, paying attention to light, movement, and how a place feels, rather than looking for big or dramatic scenes. I’m interested in the small, in-between moments when people relax and just go about their lives. I didn’t come from formal art training, so photography is a way for me to learn. Each walk teaches me patience and how to better understand people and their surroundings. I’m less focused on big moments and more on quiet expressions that reveal something over time. Photography, for me, is less about capturing moments and more about staying with them long enough for something honest to surface. LOCATION INDIA CAMERA/S Canon EOS R10, Canon EOS77d @JEEV.JAYPG

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2023 List. 2023 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Ypatia Kornarou AARON RUBINO San Francisco UNITED STATES ALESSANDRO GIUGNI Milan ITALY ALEX GOTTFRIED BONDER Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA AMY NEWTON McCONNEL Arizona UNITED STATES ANASTASIYA PENTYUKHINA Moscow RUSSIA ANDREE THORPE Ontario CANADA BARBARA PEACOCK Portland UNITED STATES BRANDEN MAY Atlanta, UNITED STATES DARREN SACKS London UNITED KINGDOM DOUG WINTER California UNITED STATES ELSA ARRAIS Leiria PORTUGAL FABIO CATANZARO Venice ITALY GILES ISBELL Chiang Mai, THAILAND IDA DI PASQUALE Rome ITALY JAN PONNET Antwerp BELGIUM JAYESH KUMAR SHARMA Varanasi INDIA JEFF ROTHSTEIN New York UNITED STATES JUAN BARTE Madrid SPAIN JUAN SOSTRE California UNITED STATES KONRAD HELLFEUER Görlitz GERMANY LEANNE STAPLES New York UNITED STATES MENA SAMBIASI Madrid SPAIN MONIKA JURGA POLAND NAIMA HALL New York UNITED STATES NSIRIES Bologna ITALY

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2021 List. 2021 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Meryl Meisler AGATA LO MONACO ITALY ALAN THEXTON Melbourne AUSTRALIA ALEX RUTHERFORD Surrey UNITED KINGDOM ANDRES GONZALEZ Porto PORTUGAL ANDREW ROVENKO Melbourne AUSTRALIA ANDRÉ LOBÃO London UNITED KINGDOM AURÉLIEN BOMY Nantes FRANCE BARRY BOTTOMLEY London UNITED KINGDOM BASTIAN PETER Basel SWITZERLAND BEN ALLAN London UNITED KINGDOM BETTY MANOUSOS Athens GREECE CAMILLE WHEELER Texas USA CARLA HENOUD Beirut LEBANON CAROL DRONSFIELD New York UNITED STATES CHICHEK BAYRAMLY Baku AZERBAIJAN CHRISTINA SIMONS Melbourne AUSTRALIA DAMIEN GORET FRANCE DANIEL GOLDENBERG Buenos Aires ARGENTINA DANIELA PEREIRA Montevideo URUGUAY DANNY JACKSON Essex UNITED KINGDOM DAVID KUGELMAS New York UNITED STATES DAVID LAWLESS Winnipeg CANADA DAVID SHORTLAND London UNITED KINGDOM DREW KELLEY California USA EDUARDO ORTIZ Valparaiso CHILE