South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina recently opened a solo exhibition of work by Deepanjan Mukhopadhyay in the art school’s FAB gallery. Mukhopadhyay is a second-year graduate student in the Photography department at the Lamar Dodd School of Art. For the exhibition Pre/Post/Eros, Mukhopadhyay brought together a series of photographs, including several large-format prints, with video and sculptural installations. 

Image: Installation view of Pre/Post/Eros at FAB Gallery, South Carolina State University; Top image: Poster for Pre/Post/Eros exhibition

The works consider post-colonialism’s evolution into neo-colonialism and the shifting meanings of those terms. The artist describes the personal relationship he has to these concepts:

“As a non-resident alien in the United States, and originally from formerly colonized India, my hybrid identity oscillates within the cultures I explore. My materials include physical and image sources such as readymades, scans, computer generated product images, declassified army documents, educational documentary films, and stock photography—all fluid signifiers of history and culture.”

The artist is also interested in the way they the mediums of photography and video embody artistic issues of appropriation and representation. See more work from the Pre/Post/Eros series on the artist’s website.

Mukhopadhyay is pursuing his MFA in photography from University of Georgia, having graduated with a BFA in photography and a secondary concentration in painting from Louisiana Tech University in 2015. Deepanjan’s images have been published in Aperture, Burnaway, The Huffington Post, and PDN Magazine. He has also received honors for his work from Society of Photographic Education, 2015 PDN Photo Annual, and Society of Professional Journalists. His work has been exhibited in India, Canada, and the United States.

Image: Installation view of Pre/Post/Eros at FAB Gallery, South Carolina State University