Jason Eskenazi
U.S. Scholar to Russia
Photographer
Grant Dates: 2004-2005

At first I thought applying for a Fulbright would be daunting and difficult because I only had a BA from Queens College. But as I looked into the program, I saw that we would make a good fit since I had traveled widely in my career up to that point especially in the area that I was applying to for my Fulbright.

My Fulbright project in Russia was to take a series of portraits across different age, economic, political and social groups in Russian society.  During this time, Western photographers, including myself, created photography seminars in local and under-visited areas.  It was a good match because the local photographers were eager to hear about our experiences.  In addition, I did my project with a Russian colleague with whom I still keep in contact.

For my Fulbright project, I chose a difficult medium and one in which I did not have much expertise: portraiture.  It was a learning experience for me and one that has helped inform my future projects.

I learned to be brave in my artistic endeavors. My advice for prospective Fulbright applicants is success builds on success! But you can never achieve anything unless you apply (and reapply if you don’t get it the first time).

To see some of Jason’s pictures from his Fulbright project along with others in his portfolio please visit http://www.jasoneskenazi.com.  Jason’s work from Russia was also featured on the New York Times’ “Lens” blog.

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