A Love Letter to Nepali
This is an ode to all the friendships that I made and spent time with.
My project is a thank you note; my form of gratitude to all the young artists that I met in Nepal over the past 5 months.
I have always loved taking portraits. For me, they invoke emotion. It’s also a way of holding a moment and making it timeless.
My interactions with these young artists, activists and creators over the course of 5 months gave me the incredible opportunity to walk into their lives and hear their stories. Those interactions took me back to my childhood; some memories that I have lived and some I wished I had lived. At the core of being human, we all have had similar experiences as a kid growing up. Nepal will always be a special place for me more so because of the people inhabiting it.
My photographs showcase all of my friends (I do not wish to call them subjects) in their most comfortable and natural habitat. Their surroundings are a reflection of their identity with what they associate. Each photograph tells a different story which could change based on the viewer’s interpretation of it. These photographs are not meant to be understood in one emotion. The idea is to invoke a sense of feeling in the viewer and form a connection with the photograph. To not only see my perspective but also to form new ones that take you back to your own experiences.
In Nepal, everyone knows everyone. The person in the photograph you see may also be a close friend of yours, perhaps they are just acquaintances. Maybe you might see them from a different light and get to know them even more.
The Beauty of Loin Loom
Mr. Alleppey
Behind the scenes of Mr. Alleppey bodybuilding contest 2017.
Alappuzha Beach, Kerala.
THE SILENCE OF PLACE
On this maiden journey to Auroville, for which I was equally excited and nervous, I was captivated by the silence and stillness of individuals and spaces.Life here in Auroville is slow and peaceful. The people living here learn to take out time for themselves, to connect with their inner self. They even take out time for their family which also helps them in developing a strong bond. It was so wonderful to watch how they were so disconnected from everything else except their own inner conscience. We, living in such a fast paced world, where we do not have time for ourselves, I was overwhelmed to see how life unfolded in Auroville.
In this body of work, I have attempted to capture those moments of stillness which gave me a sense of emotion and life in that very moment. We most of the time overlook the ordinary instances in life because we are so busy with other issues. I have always enjoyed capturing those subtle moments which have more to say than just what you see in the picture even in the absence or in the presence of an individual.
