Zana Briski is a renowned English artist, filmmaker, and activist, celebrated for her impactful work in photography and social advocacy. Her passion for photography ignited at the young age of ten, leading her to pursue a master's degree from the University of Cambridge. Briski further honed her skills in documentary photography at the International Center of Photography in New York.
In 1995, her journey took her to India, where she focused on the grave issue of female infanticide. By 1997, she had returned to India to document the lives of sex workers in Calcutta's notorious red-light district, which eventually directed her attention to their children. This experience became the foundation for her acclaimed project, "Born into Brothels."
Briski’s work has garnered numerous accolades, including the George Soros Open Society Institute Fellowship and the Alicia Patterson Journalism Fellowship in 2000, which enabled her to extensively research and photograph within Indian brothels. Additionally, she received fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Howard Chapnick Grant for the Advancement of Photojournalism.
Together with co-director Ross Kauffman, Briski received support from esteemed organizations such as the Sundance Institute and the Jerome Foundation for "Born into Brothels," which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2005. She is also the founder of Kids With Cameras, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering children through photography.
