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Nayan Sthankiya

Black-and-white portrait of photographer Nayan Sthankiya seated indoors, looking toward the light from a nearby window.

Drawing

Freelance Photojournalist · Dip · Class of 1994

nayansthankiya.com/blog/

Nayan Sthankiya is an award winning East Indian multimedia journalist raised in Canada with a decade of experience in photography, visual storytelling, video and multimedia, based primarily in Asia covering breaking news, politics, cultural and environmental stories on assignment as well as self generated editorials. Born in Uganda, Africa, to East Indian parents, forced to flee during a brutal military dictatorship, learning firsthand at a very young age the importance of media, the image, and its role as a witness, its ability to foster dialogue and in that dialogue effect positive change.

He studied multimedia arts at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He slowly gravitated away from fine arts to photography after spending a year lobbying the Chinese government for the release of a wrongly imprisoned South Korean photojournalist, Seok Jae-hyun, arrested while documenting North Korean refugees in China. He again saw firsthand the power of the media and of images to educate, inspire, and motivate.

He was asked to undertake disaster missions with the Korean Medical Association to Aceh and Pakistan, receiving a commendation for his work. He also spent time travelling throughout North Korea documenting the Korean Friendship Association. He was the chief video editor, producing, shooting, and editing situational ESL videos with a team of 10 people, shot throughout Daegu, South Korea, again giving him firsthand appreciation for the ability of images to educate and foster dialogue. He was in India, invited to teach various aspects of photography, photojournalism and multimedia in the hill station town of Ooty in the mountains of Tamil Nadu. Most recently, he has undertaken a long-term project, starting a new media NGO producing compelling social multimedia content for NGOs, corporations and other socially conscious organizations in India.

Nayan is available for assignments worldwide.

Nayan Sthankiya's Work

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