The elderly woman gazes wistfully into the distance, her hands curled over a basket of tobacco, surrounded by the hundreds of cigarettes she has spent hours rolling by hand. This poignant image is just one of many captured by student Rashmitha T in her Tamil Nadu village, showcasing her neighbors who create traditional Indian cigarettes known as beedis. "No one knows about their work. Their untold stories need to be told," Rashmitha expressed, highlighting a common theme among her peers.
These photographs were part of an exhibition titled "The Unseen Perspective" held at the Egmore Museum in Chennai, featuring the work of 40 students from government-run schools in Tamil Nadu. The exhibition documents the lives of local adults—often parents—who are engaged in various forms of labor that encompass quarry workers, weavers, welders, and tailors. With around 400 million laborers in India, the showcased work emphasizes the backbreaking and often overlooked nature of their contributions.
Rashmitha shared the stark realities faced by beedi rollers, who endure health risks like lung damage and tuberculosis in their tobacco-laden homes. "You can’t stay there long," she recalled, noting that for every 1,000 beedis rolled, laborers earn a mere 250 rupees ($2.90; £2.20).
In the Erode district, Jayaraj S took a photo of his mother, Pazhaniammal, a brick maker pouring clay into molds. Jayaraj detailed his early mornings, waking at 2am to capture her at work before the oppressive afternoon sun. "It was only through this project that I realized the hardships she endures," he remarked, as she often complains of various pain after grueling hours of work.
Gopika Lakshmi captured her father Muthukrishnan selling groceries from an old van, even as he faces health challenges requiring dialysis twice a week after losing a kidney. "Despite his serious condition, he looked like a hero," she said, portraying his unwavering commitment to providing for the family under difficult circumstances.
Similarly, Keerthi documented her mother, Muthulakshmi, who manages both a shop and the home. Working from the early morning until late at night, Keerthi aimed to illustrate the daily sacrifices made by women in the pursuit of better lives for their families. "I wanted to show through photographs what a woman does to improve her children's lives," she explained.
Mukesh K dedicated four days to photograph his father at the quarry where he works days on end. "He sleeps on empty cardboard boxes in the quarry," Mukesh recounted, highlighting the harsh realities faced by quarry workers who often labor under extreme conditions for minimal pay.
The students, aged 13 to 17, have engaged in an initiative led by the Tamil Nadu School Education Department, promoting art forms like photography to foster social responsibility. Muthamizh Kalaivizhi, the state's lead for the Holistic Development program and founder of the Neelam Foundation, stated, "Understanding their lives is the beginning of social change." The exhibition is a call to action for society to recognize and appreciate the often-ignored labor that fuels various aspects of life in India.
These photographs were part of an exhibition titled "The Unseen Perspective" held at the Egmore Museum in Chennai, featuring the work of 40 students from government-run schools in Tamil Nadu. The exhibition documents the lives of local adults—often parents—who are engaged in various forms of labor that encompass quarry workers, weavers, welders, and tailors. With around 400 million laborers in India, the showcased work emphasizes the backbreaking and often overlooked nature of their contributions.
Rashmitha shared the stark realities faced by beedi rollers, who endure health risks like lung damage and tuberculosis in their tobacco-laden homes. "You can’t stay there long," she recalled, noting that for every 1,000 beedis rolled, laborers earn a mere 250 rupees ($2.90; £2.20).
In the Erode district, Jayaraj S took a photo of his mother, Pazhaniammal, a brick maker pouring clay into molds. Jayaraj detailed his early mornings, waking at 2am to capture her at work before the oppressive afternoon sun. "It was only through this project that I realized the hardships she endures," he remarked, as she often complains of various pain after grueling hours of work.
Gopika Lakshmi captured her father Muthukrishnan selling groceries from an old van, even as he faces health challenges requiring dialysis twice a week after losing a kidney. "Despite his serious condition, he looked like a hero," she said, portraying his unwavering commitment to providing for the family under difficult circumstances.
Similarly, Keerthi documented her mother, Muthulakshmi, who manages both a shop and the home. Working from the early morning until late at night, Keerthi aimed to illustrate the daily sacrifices made by women in the pursuit of better lives for their families. "I wanted to show through photographs what a woman does to improve her children's lives," she explained.
Mukesh K dedicated four days to photograph his father at the quarry where he works days on end. "He sleeps on empty cardboard boxes in the quarry," Mukesh recounted, highlighting the harsh realities faced by quarry workers who often labor under extreme conditions for minimal pay.
The students, aged 13 to 17, have engaged in an initiative led by the Tamil Nadu School Education Department, promoting art forms like photography to foster social responsibility. Muthamizh Kalaivizhi, the state's lead for the Holistic Development program and founder of the Neelam Foundation, stated, "Understanding their lives is the beginning of social change." The exhibition is a call to action for society to recognize and appreciate the often-ignored labor that fuels various aspects of life in India.
