Manjari Sharma

Manjari Sharma serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. A Mumbai-born, Los Angeles-based visual artist, her practice explores ritual, identity, memory, and mythology through photography and interdisciplinary installations, often drawing from personal experiences with her mother's battle against Frontotemporal Dementia.

Her research investigates the convergence of Hindu spiritual concepts with scientific inquiry, particularly regarding death rituals and cosmic phenomena. Recent projects like Tat Tvam Asi- The Universe is a Mirror (2024) and Expanding Darshan (2023) demonstrate her signature approach of blending personal narrative with cultural iconography to create speculative visual dialogues between scripture and astronomy.

Sharma's artistic output reveals consistent thematic evolution toward synthesizing traditional Hindu practices with contemporary scientific frameworks, using intricate digital collages and constructed narratives to process grief while speculating on afterlife concepts. This trajectory positions her work at the intersection of cultural anthropology, neuroscience, and visual storytelling.

Her notable recognition includes:

• Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant (2024)

Sharma has secured significant institutional support for collaborative projects including the 2024 two-part exhibition between AEIVA and UAB's Brain Aging and Memory Clinic. Her creative process involves extensive collaboration with Mumbai-based craftspeople to realize complex visual narratives, while her teaching focuses on observational techniques and fine art photography principles through courses PHOT-102A and PHOT-254A.