Vicky

Vicky was born in an impoverished family in the village of Purlia, West Bengal. A poor tailor's son with six siblings, he had no resources. In 1998, aged eleven, he fled and reached Delhi. He lived on the railway platform for more than a year. Initially, he worked as a rag picker, after which he worked in a dhaba, a small roadside restaurant.

In 1999, Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT) rescued Vicky and enrolled him in school. Once at SBT he got opportunities that he never had before. The first one of which came from Dixie Benjamin, a British photographer, who asked Vicky to join him as an assistant on a photo shoot. This is when Vicky actually got addicted to the camera and enrolled at the Triveni Kala Sangam for an intensive photography course. He joined Delhi photographer Anay Mann as an assistant.

Having once called the streets his home, Vicky is a master at capturing the street life. In 2007, his first solo exhibition, “Street Dream”, was supported by the British High Commission, and his work was then selected to travel to South Africa for the Shared History festival in Durban and Johannesburg as well as in London. In 2008, Ramchander Nath Foundation (RNF) nominated Vicky for a mentorship program by the US based Maybach Foundation (MF), through which he will work on the photo-documentation of the reconstruction of the World Trade Center in New York. Out of numerous applications, from all over the world, Vicky is among the four participants and the only one from South Asia.

"Through Ramchander Nath Foundation, India, we are fortunate to find a deserving candidate like Vicky Roy. Having faced extreme hardship and adversity, he is emerging as an exceptionally talented, skilled and driven young man. We are excited about him joining us in New York," said Ulrich Schmid-Maybach, President, Maybach Foundation.

This is a six-month residency program and is scheduled to begin in February 2009. On his return he will hold his second solo show in Delhi. Vicky is a real-life example of courage, resilience and effective mentorship.

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