SEJ SARAIYA
CULTURAL-CONSERVATION AND FINE-ART PHOTOGRAPHER AND FILMMAKER
For press and media inquiries please contact me at info@sejalsaraiya.com or +1 (424) 581-9667
ABOUT SEJ
Sej Saraiya (b. 1985) is an award-winning ethnographic and fine-art photographer and filmmaker with a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California. She has spent the last several years traveling to the deep interiors of Asia and the Americas, capturing images that tell stories of remote and at-risk cultures.
She speaks in a variety of forums, holds workshops, and moderates or contributes to panels at universities, museums and festivals. Her photographs have been exhibited both in America and India and hang in the homes of private collectors in Belgium, Switzerland, Australia, India, Germany, South Africa, Canada and the United States. She is a member of the American Photographic Artists (APA) and currently resides in Topanga, CA.
“The reason I photograph is to experience and share human existence beyond the precinct of words. It takes an adventurous spirit to venture out to the farthest corners of this earth, but those handful who do are obliged to bring back the stories that haven’t been heard, to shine light on the responsibilities that come with sharing a planet—the importance and urgency of which I portray through my photographs.”
ARTIST STATEMENT
My photographic work has taken me to some of the most remote corners of this planet and has put me in contact with profound treasures—from the tattooed headhunters of hidden India to the medicine women of British Columbia; from the shamans of the Venezuelan Amazonas to such globally revered leaders and humanitarians as Their Holinesses the Dalai Lama and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar; from the stunning landscapes of the United States to Vedic scientists and global healers; all with the broader vision of preserving our world’s cultures and lands.
What drives my photography is a thirst to tell the stories that haven’t been heard and share uplifting perspectives on the world that haven’t been seen. At least in the dominant cultures. I have lived in places with no running water, climbed active volcanoes, walked for days to reach a spiritually significant glacier 12,000 ft. above sea level, spent years communicating with people who don’t speak my language, photographed in scorching deserts; all to bring back stories that can create a positive impact on this planet. With each new environment, my innate ability to navigate unfamiliar cultures has allowed me to make connections with people of all backgrounds and enabled me to obtain images that connect with viewers at the same deep level I connected with.
INTERVIEW WITH DANETTE KUBANDA
View my interview with Emmy Award winning, former Oprah Show and CNN Producer Danette Kubanda.
PHOTO EXHIBITIONS AND LECTURES
Sej’s work has been shown- and she has offered lectures at- art galleries, museums, universities, airports. In 2017, her artwork was displayed at the historic Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram aka the “Beatles Ashram” in what used to be the Beatles’ artist studio when they were living in the ashram in Rishikesh, an ashram that has been closed to the public for events since the Bealtes left. In Los Angeles, Sej has been invited time and again to display- and auction- her photographs for benefit events including the most recent “Arts and Hearts for India”, a fundraiser event for the rising COVID crisis in India, organized by the International Association for Human Values. Sej’s work was one of the first to be sold at the auction.
Sej’s talks on Remote Cultures & Ancient Wisdom, in which she shares stories from the remote East where she learned the ways of living of indigenous cultures, have been life-changing for viewers, who have often been teary-eyed or have left with a significant impact. To book Sej to display her work or speak at your event, schedule a free 30-minute call to dicuss and have your questions answered below.
VARIOUS COLORS OF OUR WORLD
INTERVIEWS, PRESS, AND PUBLICATIONS
Ainis, J. (2019, June 9). Picturing Change: Animal Advocacy through Art. LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.
Stories, L. (2020, September 9). Meet Sej Saraiya of Saraiya Creative in Topanga. Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide.
Bredewold, A. (2021, January 11). Sej Saraiya: Photographer based in the US. NOMADICT.
Pham, B. K. (2019, October 9). World religions seen through a photographer’s lens. Daily Titan
Saraiya, S. (2018). Donyi Polo Apatani. Scholarship @ Claremont.
REPERTOIRE
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EXHIBITIONS + SPEAKING
From the Foley Gallery in NYC to the John Wayne Airport in California and the historic “Beatles Ashram” at the foothills of the Himalayas, Sej’s work has been exhibited in galleries, universities, museums, and events worldwide. She has been invited to auction her work at fundraisers during world crises, and talk about her journeys to the cultures of the remote East. Click below to start a conversation.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Besides her work with indigenous and remote cultures, Sej has photographed such spiritual and cultural leaders as His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and such celebrities as Snoop Dogg, multiple Grammy award-winner Estelle, American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, and more. Her photographs have appeared as book jackets and album covers for musicians. She works with conscious brands worldwide.
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DIRECTING
Sej Saraiya is an award-winning film director. Her short films THE LANGUAGE THEY SPOKE (2019) and THE CURIOUS WOODS (2021) played and won awards in film festivals worldwide. She has also directed several music videos and continues to use her creativity with conscious artists worldwide, her work is especially focused on two things— visual aesthetics and raising consciousness on our planet.
To book Sej for broadcast or print interviews,
REACTIONS
“I met Sej Saraiya last year at the Garifuna International Film Festival in Los Angeles. I was screening a new film and receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the festival. Sej was exhibiting her photographic series, Faces of the Indigenous, and receiving an award from the festival. As soon as I walked into the theater lobby, I was mesmerized by the larger-than-life portraits of people from places and cultures I didn’t know existed. I couldn’t take my eyes off the magnificent faces so perfectly captured by the photographer. I felt I was looking into their souls, her subjects speaking to me without words.”
— MICKI DICKOFF, Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker
“When I first encountered [Sej’s] photos, I was absolutely stunned. Her photos have that unique storytelling aspect that is extremely rare to find in a photographer. These photos are not just the beauty of light or composition, of which she is an expert, but they go deeper and speak to an issue and a story of people that is begging to be heard; something that I’ve never seen in professional photography.”
— ADAM SCHOMER, Award-winning Director, and Producer of the documentary HEAL
In these images, one soul has been seen through the eyes of these beautiful beings! Thank you.
— DEB CRICHTON
“I absolutely love Sej's work! Her images are so strikingly vibrant and beautiful, and they are so much more. Every photo is a full experience in itself, an insight into another world. The stories behind the photos are so rich because they come from her own life experiences traveling the world, and the viewer can feel this incredible energy of adventure and freedom. For me, Sej's art (her portraiture in particular) brings me to a deeper place within myself and serves as a window into a broader perspective of life. She clearly puts her entire heart and soul into her work and I truly believe it has the power to connect and unify people from all walks of life! As a person, Sej is so open, loving and understanding and her art is a wonderful expression of who she is. I highly recommend her amazing talents to everyone!”
— SCOTTY BRAMER, Jazz Musician
What a privilege to witness your art after Mooji’s powerful satsang. My blessings that you will continue your journey through your lens and capture all of the Divinity of our world, and transform [our world] through your art.
— ILEANA KATZENELSON
Sej Saraiya’s incredible talent and advanced level of consciousness is reflected in her magical work. We are so lucky she exists. I look forward to following her trajectory.
— ARUNA SHIELDS, British Actress
EXHIBITIONS & INSTALLATIONS
Apr 2022 Avenue 50 Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Mar 2022 American Society of Media Photographers "A World From Home II" Virtual
Dec 2021. Topanga Canyon Gallery, Topanga, USA
Oct 2021 Newport Beach Central Library (Curated Exhibit) Santa Ana, USA
Sep 2021 Bower’s Museum (Curated Exhibit) Santa Ana, USA
July 2021 Foley Gallery New York, USA
May 2021 Rishikesh International Film Festival Rishikesh, India (Online)
Apr 2021 A Taste of India Garden Event Culver City, USA
Jan 2021 John Wayne Airport Vi Smith Concourse Gallery (Curated Exhibit) OC, USA
Dec 2020 Froggies Topanga, USA
Nov 2020 Blank Wall Gallery (Curated Exhibit) Athens, Greece
Oct 2020 Newport Beach Central Library (Curated Exhibit) Santa Ana, USA
Oct 2020 Topanga Artists Studio Tour Topanga, USA
Sep 2020 Bower's Museum (Curated Exhibit) Santa Ana, USA
Jul 2020 American Society of Media Photographers "A World From Home"
Mar 2020 Rishikesh Int'l Film Festival Tapovan India
Oct 2019 University of Southern California Los Angeles USA
Oct 2019 California State University Fullerton USA
Aug 2019 Short Ave Elementary School Los Angeles USA
Mar 2019 Rishikesh Int'l Film Festival Tapovan India
Nov 2018 Lois Lambert Gallery Los Angeles USA
May 2018 Electric Lodge Art Gallery Los Angeles USA
May 2018 Nous Tous Art Gallery Los Angeles USA
Sep 2017 Legato Art Gallery Los Angeles USA
Aug 2017 Venice Love Shack Los Angeles USA
July 2017 Santa Monica Assembly Hall Los Angeles USA
June 2017 Topanga Canyon Los Angeles USA
Apr 2017 Uttra Art Gallery Rishikesh India
Mar 2017 Maharishi "Beatles" Ashram Rishikesh India
EVENTS & LECTURES
May 2021 Discussion with Marc Baraka Strauch: “The Meditative Eye: An Exploration in Seeing from Within” Rishikesh Film Festival
May 2021 Moderator: Shakti Panel Rishikesh Film Festival (online)
May 2021 Lecture: “Remote Cultures, Ancient Wisdom & Non Duality” Yangchenma Arts & Music, Topanga
Apr 2021 Lecture “Photographing Remote Cultures” Learning Bird, Canada
Nov 2020 Sociology of Globalization Symbiosis School of Photography, Pune India
May 2020 Tales of the Desert Gypsies Yangchenma Music & Arts Topanga USA
Nov 2019 Lecture: “Individualism, Collectivism & Non Duality” Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena USA
Oct 2019 Panel Discussion: “Infinite in its Silence" California State University, Fullerton USA
Oct 2019 Lecture: “Remote Cultures, Ancient Wisdom & Advaita” University of Southern California, Los Angeles USA
Aug 2019 Workshop: “Journey Through India” Short Ave Elementary School, Los Angeles USA
Aug 2018 Empowered Filmmaker Masterclass (with TELUS Storyhive and VoVo Productions) New Hazelton, Canada
Aug 2018 Empowered Filmmaker Masterclass (with TELUS Storyhive and VoVo Productions) Kamloops, Canada
Mar 2018 Lecture: “Storytelling, Filmmaking & Consciousness” Beatles Ashram, India
To view a selected body of Sej’s work,
CONTACT
For press and media inquiries please contact me at info@sejalsaraiya.com
(424) 581-9667
Topanga, CA 90290
To purchase fine art prints, visit my Print Shop here.
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