CPW Unveils 2026 Winner of its $10,000 Saltzman Prize

Mar 05, 2026

Kate Garibaldi

A triptych: On the left, a person in a yellow garment holds a rooster; center, a person stands by water, holding a round mirror reflecting the sky; right, colorful clothes are laid out on rocky ground beneath a large rock formation.

The Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) has announced that Sridhar Balasubramaniyam is the recipient of the 2026 Saltzman Prize for Emerging Photographer, which includes a $10,000 award.

Selected from a shortlist of ten international candidates, Balasubramaniyam is an Indian visual artist based in Chennai whose photography and video work explore the relationship between body and land.

Now in its third year, the Saltzman Prize recognizes the achievements of an emerging photographer whose recent work has gained broader visibility and whose artistic voice offers new perspectives on photography and visual culture. The award includes a $10,000 prize and will be presented during the 2026 CPW Vision Awards gala on May 16. Balasubramaniyam will also receive a solo exhibition at CPW scheduled for 2027.

“We are excited to recognize the outstanding achievements of Sridhar Balasubramaniyam,” said CPW Executive Director Brian Wallis. “And we are thrilled to engage with Sridhar and other international artists and photographers in India and beyond.”

A wasp nest is attached to a green light bulb in a white wall socket on a gray, slightly dirty wall, casting a distinct shadow. — All images are from the series Manarsuzhal, 2019-2025 by Sridhar Balasubramaniyam

A person in a black garment stands on rocky ground by water, holding a round mirror that reflects the sky, obscuring their face and upper body. Rocky cliffs and blue water are visible in the background.

Exploring Landscape, Culture, and Identity Through Photography

Drawing on more than a decade of experience as both a performance artist and photographer working in theaters across India, Balasubramaniyam creates work informed by the folk stories, performances, and tribal weddings of southern India’s Dravidian communities. The term Dravidian refers to a family of languages spoken primarily in southern India and Sri Lanka, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Brahui.

A man with curly hair and a beard sits on a chair facing backward, resting his arms on the chair’s back. He wears a patterned shirt and looks at the camera with a neutral expression against a beige background. — Sridhar Balasubramaniyam

Balasubramaniyam’s project Body and Land has received international recognition. The work was exhibited at the Alkazi Theatre Archives in 2022 and later featured at the National Portrait Gallery in 2024. He was also nominated for the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass in 2025 and selected as one of ten artists participating in KG+, the open-entry satellite festival of Kyotographie in 2026.

His photographic series Manarsuzhal, a Tamil phrase meaning “sand whirl,” developed through years of traveling across Tamil Nadu. The long-term project documents moments along the edges of everyday life, from a farming family’s damp clothes drying in front of a quarry-fractured mountain to bees nesting inside electric bulbs. The images reflect landscapes shaped by time, labor, and environmental change while exploring ideas of home, belonging, and impermanence.

“I am truly honored to be selected as the recipient of the 2026 Saltzman Prize for Emerging Photographer. To have my work recognized by such an esteemed jury, including my all-time inspiration Carrie Mae Weems, means a great deal to me,” Balasubramaniyam said.

The 2026 Saltzman Prize jury included Clément Chéroux, director of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson; artist Carrie Mae Weems; and Sarah Meister, executive director of Aperture Foundation. From the shortlist of ten finalists, the jury also awarded honorable mentions to Widline Cadet of Los Angeles and Kerr Cirilo of Brooklyn.

Clothes and colorful fabrics are spread out on rocky ground in front of a tall, jagged rock formation under a cloudy sky, possibly drying or displayed.

A barefoot person wearing a yellow cloth stands on dry ground, holding a rooster by its wings at their side. Another person is partially visible in the background.

About the Saltzman Prize

The Saltzman Prize was established in 2024 by CPW trustee Lisa Saltzman in collaboration with CPW. The award honors emerging photographers while also paying tribute to her parents, Ralph and Muriel Saltzman, collectors and longtime supporters of the arts.

Last year’s winner, Qiana Mestrich, currently has a solo exhibition titled Do Not Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate on view at CPW through May 10, 2026.

Founded in 1977 as the Center for Photography at Woodstock, CPW is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to supporting artists working in photography and related media while engaging audiences through exhibitions, education programs, and artist residencies. In 2022, the organization relocated from Woodstock to Kingston, where it opened a newly renovated 40,000-square-foot headquarters in 2025, including a photography museum, educational spaces, and community facilities.

Image credits: Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW), All images are from the series Manarsuzhal, 2019-2025 by Sridhar Balasubramaniyam