Chicago, USA: The 2025 United States Artists (USA) Fellowships have been awarded to 50 outstanding artists, including three of Indian descent—Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Anjali Srinivasan, and Shayok Misha Chowdhury.
These fellowships, presented by the Chicago-based nonprofit United States Artists, aim to support creative professionals across various disciplines. Each recipient receives $50,000 in unrestricted funds, along with professional development resources tailored to their artistic journey.
Since its inception in 2006, the USA Fellowship program has recognized over 800 artists, fostering innovation in literature, visual arts, music, theater, dance, and film.
Aimee Nezhukumatathil
A poet and essayist of South Indian heritage, Aimee Nezhukumatathil is widely recognized for her nature-focused writing. Her acclaimed collection, World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments, became a New York Times bestseller.
She has also published four poetry collections, including Oceanic and Lace & Pyrite, a collaborative chapbook with Ross Gay. Her literary contributions have earned her prestigious honors such as a National Endowment for the Arts poetry fellowship, a Pushcart Prize, and a Guggenheim Fellowship in poetry.
Currently, Nezhukumatathil serves as the poetry editor for SIERRA magazine, a publication of The Sierra Club, and teaches English and Creative Writing at the University of Mississippi’s MFA program. Her latest work, Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees, delves into themes of food and culture.
Reflecting on her journey, she shared, “Early on, I hardly encountered love poems by Asian American women that embraced motherhood, sensuality, brown skin, and the natural world. Seeing such an absence made me wonder if these themes were off-limits, and that void shaped my approach to writing.”
Anjali Srinivasan
A multidisciplinary artist and designer, Anjali Srinivasan has collaborated with traditional glass artisans in India since 1996, integrating research and design to empower craftspeople socially and economically.
She began her academic journey studying Accessories Design at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, before earning a BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. She later pursued an MFA in glass and digital media at the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating with honors.
Srinivasan’s work challenges conventional perceptions of glass, as she explains, “I find the most joy in my creative process when glass behaves in unexpected ways. My interest lies not in what is but in what could be.”
Her groundbreaking work has garnered numerous accolades, including the Swarovski Designer of the Future Award (2016), the Jutta Cuny-Franz Memorial Award (2017), the Irvin Borowsky International Prize in Glass Arts (2017), and the Corning Museum of Glass’s 35th Rakow Commission (2020). Additionally, she has received grants from the Andy Warhol Foundation and the American Association for University Women. In 2023, she was honored as a Brother Thomas Fellow.
Shayok Misha Chowdhury
Born in India and now based in Brooklyn, writer, director, and performer Shayok Misha Chowdhury has made a name for himself in contemporary theater.
His debut play, Public Obscenities, which is performed in both Bengali and English, was a finalist for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. The production earned critical acclaim, being named a New York Times Critic’s Pick and one of The New Yorker’s top theater productions of 2023.
As a storyteller fascinated by language and identity, he remarked, “My incomplete fluencies allow me to deconstruct language and craft something new from its inner workings. I hope that embracing the nuances of my own vernacular inspires others to recognize the unique rhythm of their own voices.”
