Jayesh Kumar Sharma

Jayesh Kumar Sharma (b. 1987, Mirzapur, India) is an Indian visual artist and photographer whose practice explores cultural memory, disappearing traditions, and the relationship between people and their environment. Trained in painting at the Institute of Fine Arts in Varanasi, he later turned to photography as a means of documenting the social and cultural transformations taking place across India.

His projects, including Kushti and Leela, examine traditional wrestling and religious theatre, reflecting on the impact of modernisation on local identities and collective memory. His work has been exhibited internationally, including at MIA Photo Fair in Milan and the Auckland Festival of Photography. He received the Nikon International Photography Next Generation Award in 2017.