A product of Government College of Art Chandigarh, Diwan Manna, who has held one-man shows, group shows and won many awards, has now been selected for the National Akademi Award in photography.
Of his six one-man shows, two were held in Chandigarh, two in the UK and one in Paris. The Paris exhibition was of photographs of the Taj Mahal. He was a member of the seven group shows held in Chandigarh, New Delhi, Bombay, Jaipur and Patiala. He was also a member of the exhibition of photographs taken during “Project Punjab” held at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, Chandigarh and Bombay.
He won awards at the All-India Exhibition of Photo-prints and Arts, Shimla, the All-India Exhibition of Photography held by the North Zone Cultural Centre at New Delhi and the All-India Photo Exhibition organized by the All-India Fine Arts and Crafts Society, New Delhi.
Diwan Manna conducted photography, painting and acting workshops during February-November 1993, in 10 towns for school students as an artist during residence in Shropshire, England, and a seven-day multi-media workshop for children at the Chandigarh Press Club.
He also worked as the Chief Photographer for the North Zone Cultural Centre for Apna Utsav, Delhi, in 1986, and did photographic documentation of life, handicrafts, costumes, jewellery, food and architecture in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh for the North Zone Cultural Centre in 1986-91. His photographic documentation of classical dance and music concerts for the NZCC in 1988-92 was memorable. He worked as the chief photographer of the All-India Photography Competition for the Chandigarh Festival and Apna Utsav, Bombay, in 1987 and 1989-90.
Diwan Manna directed and acted street plays and acted in a film, “Distrubed Area”, made by Khwaja Ahmed Abas and Imtiaj Khan based on a play directed by Gurcharan Channi.
He has been invited to hold a one-man show in West Yorkshire by the Kirklees Metropolitan Council from August 10 to September 22.
