Annu Palakunnathu Matthew
Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, born in the United Kingdom and based in Rhode Island, USA, creates photo-based works that re-examine historical narratives in the US and South Asia using old photographs. Her recent solo exhibitions take place at the Royal Ontario Museum, Nuit Blanche Toronto, the BDL Museum in Mumbai, and sepiaEYE in New York.
Her work is also exhibited at institutions such as the RISD Museum, MFA Boston, MFA Houston, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Smithsonian. Her essay on unremembered Indian soldiers of World War II appears in Ars Orientalis. She received fellowships from John Gutmann, MacColl Johnson, and two Fulbrights.
She serves as a Professor of Art at the University of Rhode Island and previously directed the Center for the Humanities (2014-2019). She is also the 2015-17 Silvia Chandley Professor in Peace Studies and Non-violence and is represented by sepiaEYE, NYC.
About Work
SHELTERED: The Italians who saved the escaped Indian Prisoners of War during World War II
The project illuminates the extraordinary courage of Partisan Italians in the remote, mountainous villages of Abruzzo who risked their lives to shelter escaped Indian Prisoners of War during World War II. Despite vast differences in race, language, and culture, these families extended refuge in acts of profound humanity.
Through projected archival photographs of both Italian families and Indian soldiers, Mathew transforms the walls and streets of these villages into living memorials. These visual interventions bridge past and present, reviving stories long forgotten.
In a world still fractured by war and division, SHELTERED becomes a poignant tribute to compassion and resilience, underscoring the enduring power of humanity to transcend boundaries and inspire hope.
SHELTERED: The Italians Who Saved Escaped Indian Prisoners of War during World War II, Hut, 2025
SHELTERED: The Italians Who Saved Escaped Indian Prisoners of War during World War II, The children helped bring them food, 2025
SHELTERED: The Italians Who Saved Escaped Indian Prisoners of War during World War II, Prisoner of War Camp PG 91- Avezzano, 2025,
SHELTERED: The Italians Who Saved Escaped Indian Prisoners of War during World War II, We are proud to have sheltered them, 2025
SHELTERED: The Italians Who Saved Escaped Indian Prisoners of War during World War II, Tree, 2025, Photograph
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