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Colors of India 2026 Photography Exhibition

Colors of India – A Photography Exhibition

Date: 6-7-8 March 2026
Venue:  ICCR Kolkata

Calling all photographers!

This is your opportunity to exhibit your most compelling photographic work at The Colours of India, a national-level photography exhibition curated by COG India Art Foundation.

Hosted at the prestigious Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Kolkata, this edition will take place across one of its most iconic gallery spaces — the Bengal Gallery.

This exhibition is suitable for Beginners Photographers as well professional photographers. 

All selected works will be professionally printed and framed. Each participant will receive an official certificate and memento.

In each of the three categories, two photographs will be selected for Gold and Silver Awards, with exciting prizes for excellence.

Submit your entries today and be part of a national photographic dialogue that celebrates what the Colours of India.

About the Event

The Photography Exhibition – Colors of India

  • Venue: Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Kolkata
  • Galleries: Bengal Gallery
  • Dates: 6-7-8 March 2026
  • Submission Deadline:

    15 Feb 2026

 

Colors of India - A photography exhibition - COG India Art

Colors of India

Colors of India is a visual exploration of how colour inhabits memory, labour, belief, and landscape across the subcontinent. Here, colour is not ornament—it is cultural residue, shaped by time, weather, movement, and human presence.

The three categories function as interconnected chapters of one narrative—moving from collective ritual, to everyday public life, and finally to the quieter persistence of the natural world.

1. Colors of Ritual & Celebration

(Festivals & lived traditions)

This category examines festivals and rituals as living cultural systems. Photographs may depict moments of devotion, preparation, celebration, or reflection—where colour marks time, belief, and community belonging. From large public gatherings to modest household ceremonies, submissions should reveal how ritual transforms spaces and people, leaving behind traces of faith, labour, and shared memory. The focus is on sincerity and lived experience rather than scale or spectacle.

2. Colors of the Street

(Everyday public life)

This category views the street as India’s most democratic cultural space—a site where identities intersect and daily life unfolds in public view. Photographs may capture markets, informal labour, neighbourhood interactions, processions, performances, or transient moments that define everyday rhythm. The street here is not only urban; it extends to small towns, lanes, crossings, and shared thresholds. Submissions should balance observation with empathy, using colour to express social contrasts and human resilience.

3. Colors of the Living Land

(Wildlife, ecology & coexistence)

This category focuses on India’s natural world—its wildlife, ecosystems, and fragile balances—seen through a lens of respect and ecological awareness. Photographs may feature animals in their habitats, landscapes shaped by climate and time, conservation narratives, or subtle interactions between human presence and the non-human world. The emphasis is on restraint and authenticity, inviting viewers to reflect on coexistence, vulnerability, and the enduring relationship between land and life.


Unified Narrative

Together, these categories form a layered portrait of India—where colour carries history, movement, and meaning across human and natural landscapes:

  • Ritual & Celebration reveals collective memory and belief.
  • The Street reflects lived social reality.
  • The Living Land anchors both within a broader ecological context.

Rules & Regulations

1. Number of Submissions

  • Each participant must submit a minimum of Six (6) and a maximum of Ten (10) photographs.
  • Submissions may be made within a single category or across multiple categories.

2. Originality and Copyright

  • All photographs must be the original work of the submitting photographer.
  • The participant must hold full copyright to all submitted images.
  • Any form of Artificial Intelligence, plagiarism, copyright infringement, or misrepresentation will lead to immediate disqualification.
  • The decision of the exhibition curator shall be final and binding in all matters.

3. Acceptable Devices

  • Photographs may be captured using digital cameras, film cameras, or mobile phones.
  • Images must be of sufficient technical quality for professional printing at 12 × 18 inches.

4. Post-Processing Guidelines

  • Minimal Post-processed and monochrome (black and white) photographs are permitted.
  • Images must not contain watermarks, logos, borders, signatures, or text overlays.
  • Any use of Artificial Intelligence will immediately disqualify the entire submission

5. Submission Requirements

  • Each image file must be less than 3 MB in size at the time of submission.
  • All images must be submitted in .JPG format.
  • Participants must register and submit entries exclusively through the official submission portal.
  • Incomplete or improperly formatted submissions may be rejected.

6. Registration and Fees

  • A non-refundable registration fee of INR 100 is applicable at the time of submission.
  • An entry fee of INR 1400 per selected photograph is applicable for both Indian and international participants.
  • The entry fee is payable only if the photograph is selected and covers printing, framing, and exhibition display.

7. Print Specifications

  • Selected photographs will be printed in matte finish at 12 × 18 inches or an equivalent size maintaining the original aspect ratio.
  • All prints will be professionally mounted and framed under glass at the discretion of the organizers.

8. Selection and Confirmation

  • Participants will be informed of selection via email.
  • Upon selection, participants must submit high-resolution image files (300 dpi) and complete the applicable entry fee.
  • These requirements must be fulfilled within four (4) days of receiving the selection confirmation.
  • Failure to comply may result in forfeiture of the exhibition slot.

9. Attendance

  • Physical presence at the exhibition is not mandatory, though participants are warmly encouraged to attend.
  • Physical certificates may be mailed upon request; delivery charges will apply.
The organizers reserve the right to make necessary changes to the exhibition format or schedule if required.
Any such updates will be communicated through official channels.
ICCR Kolkata
The Walls are waiting for your photographs. ICCR Kolkata

Exhibit on a Grand Scale: Your photograph will not only be printed and framed but also displayed at the prestigious ICCR Kolkata, where over 2,000 visitors will have the chance to admire your work.

Awards for Excellence: The top two photographs in each category will be honored with exciting prizes, recognizing your skill and creativity.

Recognition and Remembrance: Each participant will receive a certificate and a memento from COG India Art Foundation, officially registered under the Government of India, commemorating your participation in this significant event.

Opportunity to Sell: Embrace the chance to sell your photographs. Many artists saw their creations find new homes during our last event—this could be your opportunity too!

An Unforgettable Experience: Join us for a celebration of photography that promises to leave you with memories to treasure for a lifetime.

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