Abir Abdullah

The Mittal Institute is delighted to welcome Abir Abdullah to our cohort of Visiting Artist Fellows this spring. A Bangladeshi photographer and educator, Abir is renowned for his powerful visual storytelling on climate change and human resilience. His work has earned prestigious honors, including the Mother Jones International Fund for Documentary Photography and the Alexia Foundation Professional Grant. His photography has been featured in acclaimed international exhibitions, such as Where Three Dreams Cross at Whitechapel Gallery, London; Climate Migrants in Bangladesh at Visa pour l’Image, France; and Deadly Cost at Xposure International Photography Festival, Sharjah. We spoke with Abir about his inspirations and what he hopes to achieve during his time at Harvard.

Mittal Institute: Welcome to your fellowship, Abir! Can you give us a brief background on yourself?

Abir Abdullah: I graduated with a Master’s in Marketing from Dhaka University. My career highlights include working as a staff photographer at Drik Picture Library, and photojournalist for the European Pressphoto Agency. I served as Principal at Pathshala South Asian Media Institute and I now teach photography workshops at Alliance Française de Dhaka.

Mittal Institute: Can you share more about your artistic motivations?

Abir Abdullah: My work, “Climate Migrants,” bridges the gap between art and advocacy by highlighting the profound interconnectedness of humanity and the environment. Over the past 17 years, I have documented the diverse impacts of climate change in Bangladesh, the most densely populated country on earth. My lens captures the tangible effects of cyclones, floods, and river erosion, as well as the resilience and adaptation stories of the people affected. This ongoing project seeks to amplify the voices of those facing displacement and climate challenges, urging a collective awareness and response as well as adaptation in the Global South.

Mittal Institute: What excites you most about being at Harvard?

Abir Abdullah: I am really excited as this opportunity will allow me to deeply focus on my scientific and artistic research on climate migration and adaptation. I am really looking forward to interdisciplinary collaboration with experts across various fields, access to extensive resources such as libraries and technology, and engagement with diverse perspectives from other fellows, students, faculty, and the wider community. These experiences can help me create impactful connections, inspiring new ideas and approaches to my work while providing a platform to share my research and potentially drive positive change in the conversation around climate migration and adaptation.

“These experiences can help me create impactful connections, inspiring new ideas and approaches to my work while providing a platform to share my research and potentially drive positive change in the conversation around climate migration and adaptation.”

Mittal Institute: What do you hope to research during your time at Harvard?

Abir Abdullah: I am eager to focus on the critical theme of “Climate Adaptation in South Asia” by deepening my scientific and artistic understanding. Drawing from my extensive experience in documenting various aspects of climate change, including my notable projects such as Climate Migrants in Bangladesh and Boat Schools of Bangladesh, I plan to utilize my eight weeks at Harvard to deepen my understanding and contribute meaningfully to the ongoing research initiatives at the Mittal Institute.

☆ The views represented herein are those of the interview subject and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Mittal Institute, its staff, or its Steering Committee.

Abir’s Gallery of Work