OCO Fellowship Programme 2025-26
Curatorial note
The second edition of the OCO Fellowship Programme is conceived as an in-depth research exploration into Chandua, the appliqué craft tradition of Odisha. Building upon the ethos of the inaugural edition, this fellowship continues to cultivate meaningful dialogues that intersect the social, historical, anthropological, cultural, and aesthetic dimensions embedded within Chandua-making practices.
Functioning as an extension of the OCO Residency Programme, the Fellowship seeks to further the documentation-driven research initiated by participating fellows. Through expanded field engagement across various craft clusters in Odisha, the programme aims to map the networks of power, systems of artistic interdependence, patterns of labour distribution, and ongoing negotiations for artistic autonomy that configure traditional modes of making and knowledge transmission.
In doing so, the Fellowship endeavours to foreground how generational and non-generational groups of artisans coexist, collaborate, and occasionally diverge, revealing the subtle dynamics that shape both the preservation and transformation of Chandua in contemporary contexts. This edition aspires to offer a textured understanding of the craft’s living continuum, illuminating the evolving relationships that sustain its relevance within Odisha’s cultural landscape.
Fellows of 2025-26
Raj Maurya
Photographer
Raj Maurya is a multidisciplinary artist, archivist, and researcher working at the intersections of photography, moving image, and community-led archival practices. Trained in photography design, his work spans photography, film, and archival research, exploring how lived experiences, cultural practices, and oral histories shape collective memory and identity.
Raj’s practice is rooted in close collaborations with communities and draws from traditional knowledge systems, material culture, and local histories.He uses visual storytelling not only as a method of documentation but also as a way to reimagine and recontextualize cultural heritage in contemporary forms.
