Photo Source: Diwanmanna.com
Punjab-born artist Diwan Manna to receive Lifetime Achievement Award in Chandigarh
Babushahi Network
Chandigarh, October 18, 2026: Eminent artist and conceptual photographer Diwan Manna will be conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi in recognition of his contribution to art and culture.
The award ceremony will be held on October 30 at 5:30 pm at the Government Museum and Art Gallery in Sector 10-C, Chandigarh. Renowned artist Sudarshan Shetty will present the award. Manna will also deliver an audiovisual presentation titled The Turmoil Within.
Born in 1958 in Bareta, Punjab, Manna is regarded as a pioneer of conceptual photography in India. He completed a five-year diploma in Graphic Art and Printmaking at the Government College of Art, Chandigarh, before turning to photography in the early 1980s.
His work explores themes including philosophy, feminism, political activism and identity. His notable photographic series include Shores of the Unknown, After the Turmoil, Alienation, Violence and Conceptual Self-Portraits.
Manna’s work has been exhibited at galleries and museums in India and abroad, including the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, Musée des Beaux-Arts Eugène Leroy in France, Wolverhampton Museum in the United Kingdom and the Museum of Indian Art in Berlin, Germany.
Beyond his artistic practice, Manna has contributed to promoting contemporary art and supporting emerging artists, particularly in Punjab and Chandigarh. He has served as Honorary Chairman of the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi, Honorary President of the Punjab Lalit Kala Academy and Director of Triennale India.
His initiatives have included audiovisual presentations, exhibitions and workshops featuring Indian and international artists. More than 300 videos of these programmes are available online, documenting discussions and presentations on contemporary art.
Manna’s previous honours include the National Academy Award from the Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi, in 1996, All India Photography Awards from the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society in 1995 and 1996, and state honours from the Chandigarh Administration and the Federation of Indian Photography.
Based in Chandigarh, Manna has spent decades working across photography and contemporary art while helping expand public engagement with the arts.