Interview
AJ Sharma
Aniruddha J Sharma, a.k.a AJ Sharma, is a New York City based commercial and fine art photographer, originally from Pondicherry, India. His work has been published in print and online media such as The New York Times, as well as various fashion, architecture and travel magazines.
AJ worked as a travel, lifestyle and fashion photographer for over 6 years, shooting across the globe, before starting a Manhattan based photography company and studio in 2017.
He has also showcased his work in two solo fine art gallery exhibits. The first, ‘Unwrapture’ is a body of work that uses a dancer bound by seat belts to portray a narrative about urban angst and freedom. The second exhibit, ‘Labor Narratives’ is a glimpse into the lives of migrant construction workers.
AJ’s multi-lingual and multi-cultural roots along with the myriad influences from his travel experiences have resulted in a versatile, yet universal style. He currently lives in New York City and splits his time between commercial work, fine art, teaching and humanitarian projects. He is available for assignments both locally and internationally.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I remember feeling a need to express my creativity even as a young boy. It started with a lot of reading, movies, imagining, and eventually some writing. I also tried my hand at music, painting, dance, gymnastics, and other forms of expression. While I wasn’t terrible at it, I remember feeling frustrated that my skill level was preventing me from expressing what was really in my mind. With some introspection, I realized that I had a very visual way of thinking.
With cameras being rare to come by, I was thrilled when my dad bought a film camera that he would let me take photos with. I didn’t care if I was any good at that point; I simply wanted to create. I soon fell in love with the medium.
I later graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication, which gave me a foundational overview of visual and technical arts. I continued my studies in film making and visual effects, and developed my knowledge of directing and cinematography. This led me down the path of working with large scale productions. I soon felt like my dream of being a creator was reduced to being a cog in a large machine, so I promptly quit.
All this while, I continued taking photographs and shooting videos on my DSLR. I still hadn’t narrowed down my interests, and spent years photographing everything with a curious mind and eye. It wasn’t until I started backpacking, first around India and then around the world, that I realized the true potential of being a one man band or a small effective team. This meant that I could create more and get better quicker. I embraced travel photography as it has a wide range: from people and still life, to landscape and architecture. During my travels, I developed a deep sense of empathy for social issues and the diversity and unity of the human race.
Over the years, I found that my directing skills, as well as my love for the human form arising from my interest in dance and gymnastics, came to good use in fashion photography. At the same time, I explored my love for geometry and composition with landscape and architecture. And with fine art photography, I created bodies of work with a focus on the subtler humanitarian threads.
At the core of it all has been my philosophical aspiration to explore life and find deeper meaning. I continue to explore, learn and grow with art.”
What inspires you most?
“The Art and Architecture room at the New York Public Library just oozes inspiration. Something about knowing the wooden chairs you’re sitting on have been worn smooth by some of the greatest artists. Their incredible archives of original prints and thought-provoking writings on visual art are a wealth of knowledge.
Walking into an art gallery at random without knowing about the art or artist can be very inspirational to me.
I’m also inspired by science, different schools of philosophy and emerging technology.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“My fashion work often has elements of dance and gymnastics, with a focus on posing and lighting. My architectural work is biased towards geometry, balance, and minimalism. I have yet to identify one theme in my work as it evolves. My commercial work is purely aesthetic, and I use my fine art work to try and provoke thought on the human condition.”
“At our best, we artists evolve the collective consciousness towards the supramental.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work is my path to striving for excellence and finding deeper meaning. It is a personal pursuit in search of the Sublime.”
Which artists influence you most?
“To name a few: Hokusai’s instinctive exploration of fractals, Irving Penn’s journey of shooting tribal portraiture and high fashion, Vadim Stein’s eye for dance, Albert Watson, Ron Fricke’s World Films, Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s landscape, and Roger Deakins’ cinematography.”
What is your creative process like?
“I often listen to audio books before bed, and some of my best ideas come to me in that relaxed yet cognitive time. I note down the thought the next morning and often add to the notes over the following weeks and months, refining the concepts. When I need a theme or idea for a shoot, I often look through these notes to find something that would both fit the requirements of the shoot and fulfill me creatively.
I spend a full day at the library and use it as a place for focused research before finalizing the concept. I then use that as a starting point and guide to my team selection and shoot process. I’m a believer in being well prepared. But on the day of the shoot, I trust my instincts and work best in a flow state, incorporating the visions of the guidelines along with those of my fellow creatives.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Artists, like philosophers, are explorers of the mind. Our role is to share different ways of deriving meaning with our perspectives and narratives. At our best, we evolve the collective consciousness towards the supramental.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“My first solo show ‘Unwrapture’, will remain close to my heart. Unwrapture is about the journey from restraint to release. In a world functioning, thriving and surviving on rules, laws customs and systems, the individual finds himself grasping for the [w]rapture of ephemeral satisfaction clinging to social expectation, wandering in the web of restraint. He has forfeited all belief in intuition of self for passion of the world. In this plurality of sense distraction and material gratuity, how does one release from the [un]safety?
The expression of the journey is executed through the metaphor and application of upcycled seat belts onto a character who wanders and sojourns through the system, totally succumbed to the [w]rapture. She bares no countenance throughout the story. Only from the contact with the seat belts and her evolving posture, does the intention and experience of the [w]rapture manifest. Gradually and ultimately, she creates a new beginning. Un[w]rapture was created through the collaborative efforts of myself and classical folk dancer, Swapna Bhasi.” You can see more of AJ’s fine art work here.
Website: www.ajphotonewyork.com
Instagram: @ajphotonyc
