Sannidh Raychaudhuri's Photoseries Captures The Tragedy & Heartbreak Of Fading Memory

ImprintsSannidh Raychaudhuri

Sannidh Raychaudhuri is a homegrown photographer who currently works out of Kolkata. His recent photo project, 'Imprints', is a powerful tribute to his grandmother, who battles the debilitating symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. We reached out to him to learn a little bit more about Imprints as well as his lsarger creative vision and process.

Tell us a little about this project.

My beloved grandmother dealing with Alzheimer’s. She was a very influential women at her prime, she was the first female teacher in our village, she empowered a lot of women and fought for the basic educational rights especially for girls in our village. Now, she has completely lost her memory, I meant the world to her and now she can’t even recognize me. She didn’t even shed a single drop of tear at the death of her beloved husband. She only recognizes Reba, our house help who was adopted by my grandfather as a child when she was abandoned; my grandmother raised her like her own daughter. Sometimes, she suddenly starts screaming and eventually breaks down when she encounters flashbacks of her husband passing away. She easily gets triggered by the daily used objects left by my grandfather like his lighter and ashtray so we have to keep them away.

Slowly but steadily she is trying to fight back by reviving her old habit of being a voracious reader, sometimes she reads the same book again and again. She is in a state of mind where she can’t even mourn her beloved's death because she doesn't remember him, she can’t recognize her family and sometimes she can’t recognize herself. Sometimes she has flashbacks of her husband's death and it completely rips her apart. We want her memory recovered at the same time we can’t bear to see her suffer from the recovered memory

Describe your creative process and the purpose with which you create.

My creative process begins with expressing myself in a very raw and unfiltered way, capturing what I see and the different perspectives I hold. Often, it’s a means of grappling with my mental issues, and through this process, my photographs are born. It’s a conversation between me and my dreams. For me, creating is therapeutic — photography is my poem, my song, my painting. I create with the purpose of expressing myself and showing the world that it’s okay to be different. I aim to demonstrate that there are many ways of seeing the world. My purpose is to explore the other side of consciousness, to delve into dreams, and convey these experiences through photography.

What are some of your biggest inspirations and influences over the course of your artistic career so far?

I am hugely influenced by pop culture, literature, poems, and songs. These elements infuse my work with a diverse range of perspectives and emotions. Additionally, I draw a lot of inspiration from feelings and dreams, which play a significant role in shaping my creative process. These influences collectively guide and enrich my artistic journey.

What are some things you learned while putting this project together?

I learned a few valuable lessons while working on this project. One of the most important is that time takes a toll on everyone, regardless of who or what you are today. It's crucial to prioritize family over everything else because life can be brutal and take them away from us before we even realize how much we love and need them. I also learned that we should never take anything for granted, especially the time we have with our loved ones. Enjoy every moment we get with them because, all too soon, it will be over before we know it.

Who are some artists who are currently on your radar?

Sohrab Hura, Achal Mishra, Anurag Banerjee, Soumya Shankar Bose, and Arka Dutta.

Tell us about a project you wish you were a part of.

Sunderban Chronicles by Arka Dutta.