EXHIBITIONS & TALKS
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2026 — Interconnecting Lines — Cur. Bisa Bennett — Artio Gallery, New York, USA
2026 — Beyond Borders — Cur. Bisa Bennett — European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM), Barcelona, Spain
2026 — Atlas of Humanity — Cur. Martin Vega — Galerie Joseph le Palais, Paris, France
2026 — Atlas of Humanity — Cur. Martin Vega — One Art Space, New York, USA
2025 — International Photo Awards (IPA) Winners (Juried) — House of Lucie (Projection), Athens, Greece
2025 — Things We Carry: A Contemporary Asian Experience — Cur. Andrea Marshall — Studio Montclair, New Jersey, USA
2025 — Coastal Reflections (Juried) — Malibu City Gallery, Malibu, USA
2023 — 2022: A Year of Duality — Jur. ASMP — Photo Impact Gallery, West Hollywood, USA
2023 — APA Chicago: Artist’s Perspective — Jur. Natasha Egan — Fulton Street Collective, Chicago, USA
2023 — Bold Beauty Project — Jur. Nancy Kaye — The Art Room, Los Angeles, USA
2022 — Aging as Art — Council of Aging — Bowers Museum, Santa Ana, USA
2022 — KAPWA: A Communal Spirit — Cur. Hon Huang — Avenue 50 Studio, Los Angeles, USA
2022 — A World From Home II (Virtual) — Cur. Nancy Kaye — American Society of Media Photographers
2021 — Untitled Group Exhibition — Cur. Kate Kincaid — Topanga Canyon Gallery, Topanga, USA
2021 — Aging as Art — Council on Aging — Newport Beach Central Library, Santa Ana, USA
2021 — Aging as Art — Council on Aging — Bowers Museum, Santa Ana, USA
2021 — Untitled Group Exhibition — Cur. Alison Zavos — Foley Gallery, New York, USA
2021 — Poetry of the Earth — Cur. Deja Cross — Rishikesh International Film Festival, Rishikesh, India
2021 — Aging as Art — Council on Aging — Vi Smith Concourse Gallery, Orange County, USA
2020 — Untitled Group Exhibition — Cur. Alison Zavos — Blank Wall Gallery, Athens, Greece
2020 — Aging as Art — Council on Aging — Newport Beach Central Library, Santa Ana, USA
2020 — Topanga Artists Studio Tour — Topanga Artists Studio Tour, Topanga, USA
2020 — Aging as Art — Council on Aging — Bowers Museum, Santa Ana, USA
2020 — A World From Home (Online) — Cur. Nancy Kaye — American Society of Media Photographers
2020 — Sacred Landscapes — Rishikesh International Film Festival, Tapovan, India
2018 — Animal Advocacy Through Art — Cur. N. Ford — Lois Lambert Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2018 — Non-Duality Among the Indigenous — Inv. Freda Sideroff — Electric Lodge Art Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2018 — Kapwa: A Communal Spirit — Cur. Hon Huang — Nous Tous Art Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2017 — School’s Out Forever — Cur. Jalal Poehman — Legato Art Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2017 — Evoking the Unseen — Cur. Jeffrey Ainis — Venice Love Shack, Los Angeles, USA
2017 — Beatles and the Indian Influence — Cur. Phil Goldberg — Santa Monica Assembly Hall, Los Angeles, USA
2017 — Advaita or Non-Duality — Cur. Deja Cross — Shangri-La, Topanga Canyon, USA
2017 — Advaita or Non-Duality — Cur. Tribhuvan Chauhan — Uttra Art Gallery, Rishikesh, India
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 — Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Conference — Inv. Ariela Goharik Kiradjian — Westlake Village Inn, Westlake, USA
2022 — Topanga Film Festival (Featured Artist) — Cur. Urs Baur — Topanga Film Festival, Topanga, USA
2022 — Revel Silk: Indigenous Women — Cur. Monica Dogra — Houndstooth Studio, Los Angeles, USA
2022 — Indigenous Wisdom — Cur. Freda Sideroff — Electric Lodge Art Gallery, Venice, USA
2021 — A Taste of India (Garden Event) — Cur. Nicole Muyingo — MUY House, Culver City, USA
2020 — A Taste of the World — Inv. Graham Brooks — Froggies, Topanga, USA
2019 — Remote Cultures, Ancient Wisdom & Advaita — Inv. Jim Burklo — University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
2019 — Indigenous Peoples of the World — Inv. Prof. Mugdha Yeolekar — California State University, Fullerton, USA
2019 — Namaste India — Inv. Prof. Mugdha Yeolekar — Short Avenue Elementary School, Los Angeles, USA
2019 — Advaita or Non-Duality — Inv. Deja Cross — Rishikesh International Film Festival, Tapovan, India
2017 — Advaita or Non-Duality — Maharishi “Beatles” Ashram, Rishikesh, India
SELECTED TALKS, LECTURES, and PANELS
2025 — Photo Talk — Galerie 24b, Paris, France
2025 — Photo Talk — House of Lucie, Athens, Greece
2024 — Sacred Art of Storytelling (Panel Host) — World Culture Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA
2024 — Environment in Film (Panel Host) — World Culture Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA
2024 — Leveraging Film Festivals (Panelist) — World Culture Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA
2023 — Film as a Tool for Decolonization (Panelist) — Garifuna Indigenous International Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA
2023 — Post-Colonial Philanthropy (Panel Host) — Topanga Film Festival, Topanga, USA
2023 — BRIDGE Program (Assistant Facilitator) — American Society of Media Photographers & BKC, Los Angeles, USA
2023 — Creativity & Consciousness (Panelist) — Independent Program, Los Angeles, USA
2022 — The Indigenous Story (Panel Host) — Topanga Film Festival, Topanga, USA
2022 — Remote Cultures and Ancient Wisdom (Lecture) — Big Bear Yoga Festival, Big Bear, USA
2022 — A Whole New World (Lecture) — Culture Journeys Kids Summer Camp, Hermosa Beach, USA
2022 — Learning from Ancient Cultures (Lecture) — Garifuna Indigenous International Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA
2021 — The Meditative Eye (Panel) — Rishikesh Film Festival, Rishikesh, India
2021 — Shakti (Moderator) — Rishikesh Film Festival, Rishikesh, India
2021 — Remote Cultures, Ancient Wisdom & Non-Duality (Lecture) — Yangchenma Arts & Music, Topanga, USA
2021 — Photographing Remote Cultures (Lecture) — Learning Bird, Canada
2020 — Sociology of Globalization (Lecture) — Symbiosis School of Photography, Pune, India
2020 — Tales of the Desert Gypsies (Lecture) — Yangchenma Music & Arts, Topanga, USA
2019 — Individualism, Collectivism & Non-Duality (Lecture) — Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, USA
2019 — Remote Cultures, Ancient Wisdom & Advaita (Lecture) — University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
2019 — Infinite in its Silence (Panel) — California State University, Fullerton, USA
2019 — Journey Through India (Workshop) — Short Avenue Elementary School, Los Angeles, USA
2018 — Empowered Indigenous Filmmaker Masterclass — TELUS Storyhive & VoVo Productions, Canada
2017 — Storytelling, Filmmaking & Consciousness (Lecture) — Maharishi Mahesh Yogi “Beatles” Ashram, Rishikesh, India
JURY & JUDGING
2025 — Reflections Art Program (Juror) — Redondo Union High School, Los Angeles, USA
2024 — World Culture Film Festival (Juror) — Art of Living Organization, Los Angeles, USA
2023 — 2022: A Year of Duality (Juror) — American Society of Media Photographers Photography Awards, Photo Impact Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2023–2024 — BRIDGE Photography Mentorship Program (Juror & Student Selection Committee) — ASMP-NY, Sony Alpha & Capture One, USA
2018 — Garifuna Indigenous International Film Festival (Juror) — Electric Lodge Gallery, Venice, California, USA
MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS
AUTHORED ARTICLES & BOOKS
2026 — Hindustan Times — “Why Travel Needs Humility Again” — Hindustan Times Insight (Op-Ed)
2026 — Becoming Still: A Tale of Wild Places and Inner Reckoning — Book (Literary Nonfiction)
2022 — USA Today Magazine — “Legends of America’s Sacred Landscapes” — Article + Cover Feature
2022 — USA Today Magazine — “Remote Cultures and Ancient Wisdom” — Article
2021 — STEAM Journal (Claremont Graduate University) — “Donyi Tolo: Apatani” — Peer Reviewed JournalEDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY & VISUAL FEATURES
2022 — Belili Magazine (Belize) — Cover Photograph — 2022 Issue
2021 — Moevir Magazine (Paris) — “26 Shades of Red” — 12-page Photography Feature — 2021 Issue
2020 — Nomadict Magazine (Spain)— Featured Photography in “The Intercultural Nomad” by Aletta Bredewold — April 2020
2019 — Kendall Hunt Publishing (USA) — Photography included in textbook: An Introduction to World Music
2019 — LA Yoga Magazine (USA) — Featured Photography in “Meditation Becomes Empowered on Mahasivratri” — Feb 10 2019
2018 — The Journals of Micah (Australia) — Literary Memoir by Daniel Nesher — Cover Photograph
2018 — Silence in Bloom — Music Album by Eman Attallah — Cover Art
2018 — Malibu Times (USA) — Photography featured in coverage of SAADA (South Asian Digital Archives) EventINTERVIEWS, PRESS & MEDIA
2024 — DEADLINE — “Inaugural World Culture Film Festival in Los Angeles to Open With ‘The Monk and the Gun’” — Matthew Carey — July 2024
2024 — DEADLINE — “Tom Holland, Oscar-Nominated Director Pawo Choyning Dorji Earn Awards at Inaugural World Culture Film Festival” — Matthew Carey — July 2024
2024 — American Kahani — “Inaugural World Culture Film Festival to Celebrate Uplifting and Unifying Global Cinema in Los Angeles” — July 2024
2023 — ELLE Magazine — “Conservation Photographer Sej Saraiya and Her Dedication to Cultural Preservation” — July 2023
2023 — Film Daily — “Female Filmmakers Chronicle the Rise of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living Foundation” — Callum Bradshaw — July 2023
2023 — Luxury Lifestyle Magazine — “Photographer Sejal Saraiya Captures the Powerful Stories of Indigenous Elders” — James Nottingham — June 2023
2023 — Mashable — “Sej Saraiya’s Conservation Photography Shines Light on Indigenous Tribes and Climate Action” — Pau Castillo — February 2023
2022 — Roswell Daily Record — “Santa Fe Film Festival” — Christina Stock — January 5 2022
2022 — Albuquerque Journal — “The Curious Woods Filmmaker Found Inspiration in the Healing Power of Nature” — Adrien Gomez — January 10 2022
2022 — The Basic Cinephile — “Indigenous Story Panel: 17th Annual Topanga Film Festival”
2019 — The Daily Titan — “World Religions Seen Through a Photographer’s Lens” — Kim Pham — November 16 2019
2018 — LA Yoga Magazine — “Animal Advocacy Through Art” — Jeffrey Ainis — November 20 2018
AWARDS
PHOTOGRAPHY
2026 — Second Place — Artio Gallery Art Prize Competition, New York, USA
2026 — Nominee — 1839 Awards
2025 — Honorable Mention — World Street Photography Awards (WSPA)
2025 — Second Place Award Recipient — International Photo Awards (IPA)
2025 — Bronze Winner — Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA)
2022 — First Place — Perspectives — American Photographic Artists (APA Chicago)
FILM
2023 — Best Film (February Award) — Reale Film Festival — The Curious Woods (2021)
2022 — Best Short Film — Great Message International Film Festival — The Curious Woods (2021)
2022 — Best Short Film — Global India International Film Festival — The Curious Woods (2021)
2022 — Best Nature & Environment Short (Achievement of Excellence) — TMIF Awards — The Curious Woods (2021)
2022 — Best Costume Design — New York International Women Festival — The Curious Woods (2021)
2022 — Best Director (October Award) — International Motion Picture Awards — The Curious Woods (2021)
2021 — Nominee: Best Female Director — Montreal Independent Film Festival — The Curious Woods (2021)
2020 — Best Editing (shared with Pavel Safonov) — Global Taj International Film Festival — The Language They Spoke (2019)
2019 — Best Experimental Film — L’Âge d’Or International Arthouse Film Festival — The Language They Spoke(2019)
AFFILIATIONS
2023–2024 — Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director, Head of Programming — World Culture Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA
2023, 2024 — Facilitator — ASMP-LA BRIDGE Photography Mentorship Program
2022–Present — Board of Directors — American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP)
2018–Present — Board of Directors — Garifuna International Indigenous Film Festival
2018–Present — Professional Member — American Photographic Artists (APA)
2017–2018 — Creative Director — Rishikesh International Film Festival, India
EDUCATION
2007–2009 — Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Screenwriting — University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
2008 — Writing for the Screen — University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
2003–2007 — Bachelor of Science, Information Technology — Mumbai University, Mumbai, India