Expanded: A combined narrative of South Asian identity
‘Expanded’, a group photography exhibition, was inaugurated on Friday, 19 August, at DrikPath Bhobon. The works were created through an intensive year-long mentoring collaboration hosted by Pathshala in tandem with VII Academy
For Hadi Uddin, the process of making a photo documentary is "blurred line between personal attachment and professionalism." That is why he has been taking photos around his birthplace of Jessore, with the purpose of documenting the devastating effects of climate change on people.
"In portraying the climate crisis in my hometown, I also showed the resilience of the people. There is struggle and at the same time a strong spirit for survival. People affected by floods or cyclones are constantly struggling against nature. But they are hopeful about their future," he said.
Hadi Uddin's work is part of an exhibition titled 'Expanded', which was inaugurated on Friday, 19 August, at DrikPath Bhobon. In celebration of World Photography Day, Pathshala South Asia Media institute is showcasing an exhibition of eight young photographers from seven regions of South Asia.
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The works on display were created through an intensive year-long mentoring collaboration hosted by Pathshala in tandem with VII Academy. The programme, named 'New Waves of Documentary, Practice as Research' led to the creation of this series of works.
At the exhibition, we witness eight intense stories that passionately raise questions about self-image through the depiction of one's body, women's boundaries in society, the link between motherhood and marriage, the anguish from the loss of a family member, environmental vulnerability, the effect of climate change and the fight of farmers against political power.
These visual stories, when taken as a whole, create a prism through which one may appreciate the need of personal storytelling in portraying the combined narrative of South Asian identity, culture, history and common problems.
The eight photographers are from seven diverse regions of South Asia: Hadi Uddin and Mehbuba Hasan (Dhaka), Mayank Makhija (New Delhi), Vamika Jain (Bhopal), Uma Bista (Kathmandu), Riti Sengupta (Kolkata), Tavish Gunasena (Colombo) and Nad-E-Ali (Lahore).
"Our main focus was on the portrayal of regionally, ecologically, socially and personally significant stories from the perspective of young photographers from South Asia," said Sarker Protick, the curator of the exhibition.
The programme started in the beginning of 2021, around the time of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Many people were forced to remain inside their houses since they were unprepared for the limitations that the beginning of the second wave of the Covid pandemic had brought to their individual localities. On the other hand, this was a fantastic chance to investigate the unique reality of the many artists," he said.
Another photographer from Bangladesh, Mehbuba Hasan, made a brave and intimate work. She created self-portraits by capturing her own body. Transcending above the limits of physicality, she reimagined self-worth.
In the works of the other artists too, issues like survival, gender, patriarchy, violence, etc, were brought up. These problems create a linkage – a common South Asian identity. In their works, the young photographers focused on human spirit in the fight against all odds.
Nad-E-Aly from Pakistan lost his father in the midst of Covid-19, and his personal grief led him to produce works at a cemetery in Lahore.
Uma Bista's photographs questioned the identity of women in the Nepalese society. She pointed out the historical disregard, discrimination and subordination of women deeply rooted in Nepali culture. Her revelations stem from personal experiences and also showed a desire for change.
Expanded is open to the public from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM, every day, until 27 August.
TBS picks: Keep an eye out for these works when you visit the show
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Things I Can't Say Out Loud
Photographer: Riti Sengupta
Moving from the personal to a relational realm, Riti Sengupta worked with staging and framing portraits of her family, with a focus on her mother's familial and societal standing. Sporting her mother in these images without constraints of boundaries gave Sengupta the freedom to explore choreographed frames that may in other instances suggest intrusive familiarity.
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Climate's Calamity
Photographer: Hadi Uddin
Documenting calamities of climate change and people, Md. Hadi Uddin's work draws on larger issues of migration while rooting his images in a celebration of humanity. Stemming from a personal connection with the people of the region, Uddin responded to the process of documentary as a blurred line between an instinct of personal attachment and professional documentation.
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The "F" Word
Photographer: Mehbuba Hasan
In an extremely intimate work, Mehbuba Hasan braved her first self-portraits through images of her body. After being shamed for years about her weight and driven to a point where starvation led to further complications, Hasan pushed personal boundaries of what self-image and self-worth meant to her. Stuck at home during the lockdown she turned to photograph herself in ways she would not have dared earlier.
