"Art is the courage to carve a new path—to play through dark wilds, to learn and to spark. To heed ancient wisdom, and future kin's call: Light can't be bought; it is born in us all." — Indrani
Mobilizing Movements for Climate Solutions with Art, Film, & New Media (click here to watch): Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri interviewed by Rhett Butler, Mongabay founder and CEO, shares a glimpse into her work to advance indigenous and women-led climate tech solutions on the main stage at Sun Valley Forum.
BIO (short)
Award-winning entrepreneur, innovator, driving sustainable growth and energy independence.
Indrani is a filmmaker, futurist, and founder of Open Origin, advancing global energy security and economic growth. As a cultural transformer, she addresses humanity's grand challenges by shifting public consciousness and mobilizing movements for a more just and regenerative future.
A metadisciplinary director, Indrani integrates art, science, technology, and traditional knowledge to craft transformative and impactful projects. Her Regeneration Generation film advances indigenous-led conversations and conservation, and features the team of 120 scientists, technologists, and indigenous forest protectors she co-led to qualify as Semifinalists of the XPRIZE Rainforest in Singapore, developing technologies and bio-economies for biodiversity regeneration, with support from Shakti Regeneration Institute (SRI)
Receiving over 2 billion impressions, leveraging her expertise in anthropology, diplomacy, fashion, music, and marketing, Indrani's work explores themes of identity, equality, cultural and ecological regeneration. At the United Nations she is recognized as a Women's Entrepreneurship Distinguished Fellow, Convener / Co-Host of its Science Summit and Global People's Summit.
A protege and long-term collaborator of David Bowie, Indrani shaped the image of 300 global brands as founder and CEO of Double Exposure Studios. Helming projects with Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige, Keanu Reeves, and Pharrell Williams, featured in Vogue, Rolling Stone, the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and VICE, Indrani's work is exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian DC, Lincoln Center, Centre Pompidou Paris, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Australian Center for the Moving Image. With over 40 awards including the Tribeca Film Festival Disruptive Innovator Award, CNN Expose, Cannes Lions, and Rotary International's Max-Mark Cranbrook Global Peacemaker award.
A multi-racial advocate for women and indigenous-led ecosystems and cultural regeneration, Indrani was raised in Kolkata, volunteering with Mother Teresa before becoming an internationally successful model, co-founding SEEschool.org now SRI, and graduating from Princeton with a Magna Cum Laude. She lectures at Harvard and Princeton on "Mobilizing Millions with Art and Film" and is a TEDx speaker on "Can Art Save Humanity?"
Open Origin's founders explain their green energy and data center solution, featured on Advancements, hosted by Ted Danson, airing on Bloomberg TV (click here)
"A leading director and voice for women's empowerment," Indrani receives the Disruptive Innovator Award at Tribeca Film Festival Princeton University Interview (click here)
“Across Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri’s body of work, from film and photography to philanthropy and social activism, she uses art as a means of processing and reflecting upon questions of self and society, justice and hope, history and myth... Indrani finds a singular thread and invites viewers to feel tugged and sometimes even lashed at by the thing that would have been invisible to most other eyes... I love the resourcefulness at work in what Indrani does... not just because what she creates is beautiful, but because in operating as it does, her work urges a viewer to acknowledge that a question like whether to protect the oceans, is one that can be approached not just with the intellect or even with the moral conscience, but also by calling upon unusual capacities, like passion, attraction, grief, and a real urge to be carried away, lost, overtaken, transformed. These are natural human feelings that live most of the time corralled into just one region of the self, but when they are invited in, they make a social or political question one that can be explored with the totality of oneself."
- Tracy K. Smith, Poet Laureate of the United States & Chair of the Lewis Center for the Arts, Princeton University. Introducing Indrani's keynote at the Princeton Creative Arts and Humanities Symposium, October 2018.
Quincy Jones presents Indrani with the CNN Expose Award, 2018.
VIDEO: CNN Interview with Quincy Jones and Indrani (click here)
"Riveting, shocking and touching, Indrani's direction is brilliant and provocative."
- Scott Goodson, Forbes
Wikipedia
"Wielding her visionary work like a weapon, Indrani is using her art and resources for justice and change."
- Zee Chang, Soma
"Trailblazer and visionary: high-concept and hyper-realism commingle in the work of Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri."
- Kimberly Jones, The Austin Chronicle
"Among the first female artists of color in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery's permanent collection, [Indrani's work explores] metaphysical & sociological meaning."
- Mary Thompson Frenck, Embrace
“I seek to challenge, enthrall and inspire audiences with transformative storytelling, powerful diverse characters, unforgettable imagery, and psycho-social understanding. My approach is as a collaborator, thriving on flexibility and fun to engage the team. My aesthetic is hyperreal, encouraging authenticity and dimensional performances, embracing fantasy sculpting with light, nature, and unconventional compositions. My vision mixes the gritty rawness of my Girl Epidemic with the magical realism of Legend of Lady White Snake for a quixotic, danger and hope-filled dream-scape that reflects the characters’ inner life. To provoke viewers to laugh, cry and to hope, to join our protagonists in finding their own potential and inspire them to transform themselves and humanity.”
- Indrani
BIO (LONG VERSION)
Indian-Canadian-British-Jamaican multidisciplinary artist, known mononymously as Indrani, is a “leading director and voice for female empowerment” (Tribeca Film Festival), a photographer, and social justice advocate.
Known for her “iconic imagery and visionary storytelling” (Huffington Post), exploring avant-garde intertextual surrealism, the Lincoln Center presented her major exhibition "ICONS" describing her work as "Dynamic...at the crossroads of pop culture and critical acclaim." Indrani is also co-founder of SEEschool.org, and a lecturer at Princeton University on "Moving Millions to Action."
Indrani is Co-Host of the Global People’s Summit during the General Assembly at the United Nations, democratizing access to conversations and information that shape the world; UN Women’s Entrepreneurship Distinguished Fellow; Host of New York Live Arts - AI Live Ideas Gala.
"Indrani's vast experience and unique sensibility makes her one of the most sought-after professional visual artists in the world... Indrani moves through the world with diplomacy and grace and it's no surprise that celebrities the world over have trusted her... She's a fine role model... balancing the glamour and gloss of her professional life with philanthropy."
- Paul Sunday, New York Film Academy
"At the forefront of contemporary photography" - NOWNESS
While a student of Anthropology at Princeton University, Indrani was discovered and mentored by Iman and David Bowie, who commissioned her first book cover for I am Iman, and her first album art for Heathen, on Bowie's loss of faith in grand narratives after 9/11. Bowie later launched her directorial debut with the music video for his Valentine’s Day, exploring the mind of a high school mass shooter, which was featured in the HBO Movie Bowie: the Last 5 Years.
Indrani has empowered some of the world’s most legendary artists, including helping launch the solo careers of Beyonce and Lady Gaga, creating their debut album art for Dangerously in Love and The Fame (Collector's Edition) respectively. She put celebrities in coffins, including Kim Kardashian, Usher, Serena Williams and Elijah Woods for Digital Death, raising awareness and millions of dollars against AIDS in Africa and India for Keep A Child Alive, and many other projects for social good.
Featured in The New York Times, LA Times, Rolling Stone, Vogue, Vanity Fair and VICE, and published in 23 books, Indrani's work is exhibited in museums including the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institute, The Center Pompidou Paris, The Rubin Museum of Art NY, The Victoria & Albert Museum London, The Brooklyn Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, The Museum at the Fashion Institute and The Australian Center for the Moving Image.
Her videos have over 70 million views online, and she has created images and commercials for over 300 international brands including Pepsi, Nike, Lancome, and L’Oreal. Regularly interviewed for CNN, HBO, E! News and Showbiz Tonight, she is invited to speak at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Centre Pompidou, Princeton, New York University and Harvard University.
EARLY LIFE: Born in Kolkata and raised volunteering with Mother Teresa, Indrani experienced the power of change that the tiniest of people can bring. Eager to learn from the top artists of the world, she became an international teen model-actor. At 18 she returned for a 6-month solo journey across India, and co-founded Shakti Empowerment Education, SEEschool.org providing education, vocational training and micro-financing for 300 socio-economically disadvantaged women and children annually in West Bengal. She met classical harpist Markus Klinko and they began their professional careers together as the photography duo known as Markus + Indrani.
Indrani received a scholarship to Princeton University, where she reinstated Sanskrit and spearheaded a student movement to create a South Asian Studies Program, founded the Eastern Philosophical Discussion Group, and graduated with a Magna Cum Laude BA in Anthropology, while advancing her photography and digital art career.
ADVOCACY: "Indrani is internationally recognized for her extensive work on social causes... Empowering young girls to become powerful agents of change" (Huffington Post).
"Wildly creative... Indrani changes the fate of forgotten girls... She is fighting to give girls a better future." -Abigail Pesta, The Daily Beast
EDUCATOR AND SPEAKER: United Nations, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Center Georges Pompidou. SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
BRAVO (NBC) DOCU-SERIES DOUBLE EXPOSURE: Indrani was the subject of a 6-part docu-series on US primetime Bravo/ NBC TV. Featuring her creative process, the humor and challenges of working with stars such as Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, and Lindsay Lohan, along with designer / producer GK Reid and her photographic ex-partner, Markus Klinko. Syndicated to 200 countries.
PUBLICATIONS: The New York Times, Huffington Post, LA Times, London Sunday Times, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Harper’s Bazaar, V, Vanity Fair and VICE.
FEATURED ON: CNN, HBO, Access Hollywood, Extra! Inside Edition, E! News, America’s Next Top Model, Larry King Live, VH1’s Short List, Fashion Television, The “It” Factor, CBS, USA Today, and Showbiz Tonight.
CLIENTS: Pepsi, Nike, Barney’s New York, LVMH, Lancome, Elizabeth Arden, MAC, L’Oreal Paris, Shiseido, Pantene, Head & Shoulders Herbal Essences, Remy Martin, Sky Blue, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Wolford, Girard Perregaux, Anna Sui, Baume et Mercier, DeBeers, Epson, Broncolor, Mattel, Hello Kitty, Jaguar CLIENT LIST
EXHIBITIONS: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian, The Victor & Albert Museum UK, The Brooklyn Museum, Centre Georges Pompidou Paris, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, The Lincoln Center, Museum of the Fashion Institute, Rubin Museum of Art, The Australian Center for the Moving Image.
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