Exhibitions

Aaschey Bhochor Aabaar Hobey
Growing up Durga puja was a festival we always looked forward to with excitement, it was something that reminded us about our rich culture. Just being a part of this tradition over the years, it has made realize that how it was my quest for getting closer to my roots. As a photographer my practice looks at cross-cultural comparative study in defining my identity as an individual.
The Goddess Durga is a dominant deity of India. She is considered as the epitome of feminine strength. She is depicted in a variety of Vedic literature as ‘a goddess having feminine prowess, power, determination, wisdom and punishment much beyond this material world’.
Devotees worship Durga to gain positive energy, to cleanse their mind so as to attain purity and salvation. Durga Puja is a celebration of the victory of good over evil. In the beginning the puja was restricted within upper-class households of West Bengal, however as time went by the celebration spread across India on a large scale and included people from outside the community. This festival plays an integral part within Bengalis. It makes people feel a sense of belonging in the community even if they are far away from their roots.
During this journey I discovered many aspects of this festival. I wanted to explore further, through my father's personal archive of the puja. I also looked at a large group of Bengali Diasporas living in Delhi. Documenting the puja in Delhi made me want to experience the origins of this tradition. Therefore, I went to Joynagar, West Bengal to cover a 500-year-old puja.
‘AASCHEY BHOCHOR AABAAR HOBEY’ is a personal exploration of Durga Puja through the eyes of a second generation Bengali living in Delhi.

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Buttons & Oysters
A Photography Documentation on MUSHROOM Plantation
Mushroom are making their mark contrary to their sample appearance. Fresh Mushroom have a whole lot going for them. Fresh Mushroom are Nutritious low in fat and sodium and contain many important nutrients.
Description: Common Mushroom of fairly rich in vitamins and minerals. The Mushroom contains an especially high amount of Vitamin B and Potassium. Raw Mushroom are naturally cholesterol, fat, and sodium free. The Mushroom also have very low energy level five medium Mushroom only have 20 calories in total.
Common Mushroom have unique flavor that can only be matched by few other Mushroom. No Specific flavor can be defined. Most people describe the Mushroom as “Plain” but other says that the common Mushroom taste slightly Sweet and Meaty.
Antioxidants: Fresh Mushroom contains a powerful anti – oxidant called I- ergothioneine.Ergothioneine is a found in both raw and cooked mushroom, Portabella and Crimini Mushroom have the most followed by the white Button Mushroom
Cancer Fighting: Fresh Mushroom offer nutrients such as beta – Glucans and conjugated linoleic acid compound that are currently being studied for their chemopreseventive potential.Recent research suggested that Mushroom extract may have potent anti-cancer activity for breast and Prostate Cancer.
Essential Nutrient: A 100gm serving of uncooked sliced fresh Mushroom have on 22 Calories no cholesterol is virtual fat free is low in sodium and has 1gm of fiber. They are good sources of riboflavin and a source of copper phosphorus, potassium, selenium niacin and pantothenic acid. Along with serving up great taste fresh mushroom also make an important contribution to daily intake of folate thiamin. Vitamin B6 iron and magnesium and zinc
Fiber: Mushroom offer both soluble and insoluble fiber which may have anticancer properties as well as promoting satiety and good bowel health.
Immunity : Emerging research indicates that certain mushroom extracts such as beta glucans may have a positive effects on the immune system.
Weight management: Fresh Mushroom are also low energy dense food meaning you can eat more of them without expanding your waistline..

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The Saga of a Soldier
1936 Thal I can still remember the place where I was born-present day Pakistan.The last railway station of Pakistan in the year 1940.I still remember as a young boy being in the 5th grade gathering all my clothes and my money in the pot into my suitcase.
I still hear the voice of my father telling I will not let my kids stay here and I will send them to Hindustan leaving our home 5 months earlier then August 15 1947 and as we were seated in the train and the journey started our train was attacked twice but were in luck that my father’s friends were escorting us and did not allow anyone to enter. The next thing I remember is waking up in Rawalpindi.
As time grew so did our family 11 member in total. My father could not afford everyone’s living so that’s when I joint the Air force.
A young 30 old sergeant working in the ground staff. I vaguely remember we use to use a radar for the flights to do the bombardments which were al electronically controlled
And the way we used to hide in the forests inside a van helping the flights pinpointing the location for the attack.
half decades of life given to country, family and life. All of this a slice of memory that I have got from him, and a chance to remember his legacy and his life. Creating this was a special memory for me so that I can leave his good times for my family and me. He has left with me the most important photo of his to me that is sealed my time with him that is only mine.
1965 Firozpur
1965 we were attacked by Pakistan and it was the same year my son was born. My wife and my son having to go into bunkers to be protected and not being able to see them for day’s. As the attacks increased, I still remember my brother Gulshan who had come to take my wife and my first son home was when my heart rested at first.

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That long wait…
“That long wait…” is an exhibition about the intersection of description and personal emotions. It aims to be sequential in nature and experimental in a presentation. The exhibition talks about the behaviour and ideology of the past. The illustration of the Pictorialist era and environmental attributes were inspired by the works of the Punjab painter sardar Sobha Singh. The chronological body of work holds two paths of life, Loneliness and wait. Tushar Gargi’s nascent life influenced the fictionalization of Punjab’s Cultural Melody through these Formalistic and Non-Formalistic Approaches and gave the form of a narrative about Rayia Town in Barnala.
The title “that long wait…” is part of a literary reference about waiting for someone. The exhibition also shares his personal experience and shows his conscious wishes in the present time through the lens and composition.
The holistic relationship with the soil of Punjab is Perpetuated through the portrayal of a courtyard in this exhibition.
We hope you enjoy this journey and We are grateful to you all for your presence here in this exhibition today.

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VOYEURISM
Visual conceptualisation of womanism: A formalistic approach
Since the beginning of human race our society has a prejudice of male dominance which resulted in wrongful oppression of our women in the society. Especially in a country like India which has a dreadful history of female oppression even in this modern world which believes in equality. But taking a peep into the practicality shows up a new world of questions with abusive answers. Since ages all these crimes are caused majorly due to Voyeurism. Voyeurism is an act of watching a stranger in their intimate situation, disrobing or engaging in any sexual activity. And the result of male dominance leads to various times where female voice is repressed in the society which is a very strong offense.
This project ahead tries to dissent against the malpractice of female rights oppression, Voyeurism and the resisting power that a women have in herself. The series projects light on how a male individual looks at a women; exploiting her in every possible ways and not thinking of the repercussions. As we go through our mythology, epics we get to know the importance and impact of feminine form of gender in bringing certain type of change in the society (Viz: Sita, Draupadi, Meera, Rani Lakshmibai and many more). In fact in 21st century we have so many woman whom we look up to as inspiration or role model because of their huge contribution and achievement to make the country proud. (Viz: Kalpana Chawla etc.) Performing arts field also has so many woman achievers whom all art arenas adore, respect and get inspiration from. India is spiritually very rich country as we all worship & bow down to Goddess: Laxmi, Durga, Saraswati.


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Photo Cinema
In my years until now,
I have realised that photography has a language of its own. It has its own dialect. And to top it off, it reserves its own way of narrating a story.
The power to see doesn’t justify something as right or wrong; the power to think and comprehension does.
Photography has always been a moment in time and is an advocate for the same so therefore, vision translated into photographs is a message for the mind to interpret and to look beyond that photograph.
When the frame freezes,
There comes a conviction and surrender of the subject to the camera which further serves as a mediator between the event and the one looking at it.
A memoir for the past, present and future.
What separates us from the non-living is that we can feel. As a photo-smith, I lay high regard towards the things that can stimulate that effect and perhaps a thought. All these photographs generate themselves in the world of fiction. I have believed that black and white photographs have a way of getting to you; under your skin faster than colours. Black and white reveals the truth that is obscured in colour photography with a gazing charm and an unbridled soul.
It is another world which is esoteric in many ways but a viewer without a prior knowledge of how to read photographs can conclude what it is that the photograph is trying to speak. Black and white is a feeling, an emotion, a place of contentment, a state of mind which cannot be further explained in words but can be experienced.
The exhibition covers and showcases work that has accumulated itself in dribs and drabs from over 3 years. It consists of different sections wherein they provide a glimpse into different stories and abstract concepts which latter turned into a tangible product, thus the exhibition.

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The Ballads of Darkness
"As the calming twilight falls we welcome the silence. When the glare of the day is over we can soften into the night. When we need to escape the chatter in our heads, we should breathe deeply; our mind will dim. If we are mindful to practice, we will slowly approach the gentle silence of endarkenment."
Anonymous
The Ballads of darkness wandered around divergent phases of my life. In childhood everyone experiences more or less fear, so do I. After my grandfather's demise I experienced something awful and later on my fear heightened. I was getting affected in umpteen ways as a result, I used to have nightmares day by day due to which I was unable to sleep properly and still those nightmares didn't cease. I want to overcome the gloomy loneliness of my varied nightmares and that's how I began working on my state of affairs which was more or less related with delirium or something I really don't know but it was not the feeling of fear.
As a part of observation I started reading books, seeing films suggested by my mentor in relation to the state of my mind. And that's how I started constructing / deconstructing pictures which I used to see in my dreams. I don't recognize what color my dreams are, sometimes I feel they are colorless. Most of my pictures are just revisiting my old memories and reflections. This project comprises various layers of states of my mind made out of my history, family, my sense of loss, about the problem of eternal rest, hallucinations and many more that reflect states of illusion and confusion. This project is an investigation of darkness as metaphor and its capacity to create visual vocabulary.

"The Darkness Makes Me Shine More and Makes Me Meet Myself"
- Gaurav Dubariya

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Strings of My Solitude
A man can be himself only so long as he is alone and if he does not love solitude. he will not 'love freedom, for it is only when he is alone that he is really free.
Arthur Schopenhauer
Solitude is not a space, it's a feeling, which you can't explain literally. It's the hole In your chest that makes your heart cripple with ache. It's what I see as I look into the mirror. Solitude is what makes me move backwards - one step at a time - away from everyone around me, away from who I once used to be. It traps me and engulfs me completely.
It makes me wonder every day if I am good enough; if I'II ever be good enough. This solitary feeling has taken away a million things from me, and as much as I regret this, I let it. I let the loneliness overtake, I let it overshadow me, take advantage of my depleting self-esteem and throw me away in a cage of solitude. But I wish I was better than this. I wish I had the courage to break free from these bars of pessimism .
But most days, I don't even know who I am - putting on facades as I meet people trying hard with all my strength to blend in. How did I let It get to me, I wonder? And innumerable thoughts cross my mind. It's becoming difficult with each day to fathom my existence, to believe in my being and let go of these strings that tie me to my solitude .
The photograph in this project describes me as a person, and my journey of discovering myself. Every image is a metaphor to my solitude. It's all connected through a string between me, and the solitude I'm trapped inside. Keeping up with a world that is built on a pile of lies and disguises is not easy. This project is looking about who I am' and an expression of my deep dilemmas of my mind.
Soumya Ranjan Satapathy | BFA Photography 2016-19

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