Album Portraits from Designldg

Freestyle slippers

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:01:57 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

This picture was shot at Humayun's tomb which is a complex of Mughal architecture located in Nizamuddin east in New Delhi.
It encompasses the main tomb of the Emperor Humayun as well as numerous others.
This place is a World Heritage Site and the first example of this type of Mughal architecture in India.

It was a Sunday afternoon and the first monsoon day of the season.
At that time the rainfalls stopped and a few people came to enjoy the gardens.
I met those two young men wearing traditonal kurtas and lunghis, I asked them to pose for a few pictures.
It is funny but they stopped smiling and took some kind of serious attiude but between each shot they were laughing and enjoying this moment.
They wanted to see how they were coming on my camera screen and they were happy of what they saw.
We spoke for a little while.
Later when I saw those pictures on my computer I noticed that they were wearing four different slippers.
I like those two brothers traditional however timeless style.

The Conservator

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:35:38 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

This picture was shot in Amber Fort (Hindi: अमेर किला, also known as Amer Fort) which is located in Amber at 11 km from Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
It was the ancient citadel of the ruling Kachhawa clan of Amber, before the capital was shifted to present day Jaipur.
Amber Fort is known for its unique artistic style, blending both Hindu and Muslim (Mughal) elements, and its ornate and breathtaking artistic mastery.

The Department of Art & Culture has launched Amber conservation & development project which is a three year
project.

It was heavily raining and a few people who were visiting were trying to stay a little longer under the ceiling of Jas Mandir covered in thousands of tiny mirrors.
It was used as a hall of private audiences and the flame of a single candle reflected in the tiny mirrors embedded used to transform it into a starlit sky.

A group of young women didn't want to leave the place and the monsoon was not the reason.
They were trying to catch the attention of a young man who was working for the heritage restoration and conservation of the room.
I took this picture when he understood what was going on, he was kind of shy and confused and I found this situation very sweet.

When you are stuck in traffic

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:54:21 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

A few days ago as I was driving back to Varanasi (Benaras) I was stuck in a traffic jam in a little town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Several trains were crossing the road and we had to wait, it was in the evening just before sunset.
Next to my window I could see those three kids at the back of a jeep.
I took my camera and they started to look at me, after each picture I was showing them on the screen and they were laughing.

Something Greek

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:38:29 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

This is a portrait of Jai Prakash who works with me.
He is one of the embroiderer in our team and he has been working on the throw which is on his shoulder.
I have been shooting this picture last Friday on the upper terrace of our house in Varanasi (Benaras), while the monsoon rainfalls stopped for a few minutes.
The wrestlers whome are posing for me this season were not around and I needed to send a picture of our last item to the Paris team, so I asked him to pose for our catalogue and he was very happy to do it.
It was the first time that Jai Prakash was doing this but it seemed that he posed all his life, after doing a few shots that I needed for my work I did a series of portraits like this one just for the fun of it.
I found that there was something Greek in his face which was emphased by his attitude and expressions, suddenly he was becoming a Trojan champion...

A Rajasthani portrait

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:43:07 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

This is another young man whome I met in Amber Fort (Hindi: अमेर किला, also known as Amer Fort) while I was waiting for the monsoon rainfalls to stop.
Amber Fort is located in Amber at 11 km from Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan (India).

It was a few days ago, in the morning and it was heavily raining.
I was standing at a door of the fort with three young men and we were all waiting for the rain to stop in order to be able to cross the important courtyard without being wet.
As the rainfall kept on increasing I took my camera and started to make a few portraits of those three friends.

Something kept my attention while I was looking at this Rajasthani young man through my lense, he was reminding me some old pictures from the 30's of polo players, maybe it was because of his haircut or because of a kind of grace which I could feel from his attitude.

When the rain started to slow down we all left running to seperate places, I forgot to ask their names and their Email so that I could have sent them those portraits..

Slice of life

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:58:08 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

I met this young man in Amber Fort (Hindi: अमेर किला, also known as Amer Fort) which is located in Amber at 11 km from Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan (India).

It was heavily raining and we were both waiting that the monsoon would stop for a while in order that we could cross the important courtyard without being wet.
But the rainfall kept on increasing.
I took my camera and started to make a few portraits of him and of his two other friends.
We really enjoyed that moment, it was fun.
They were reserved at the begining but very soon they allowed me to capture this slice of life.
I like this picture where something in his eye shows that he was happy, a little proud and a little shy.
When the rain started to slow down we all left running to seperate places, I forgot to ask their names and their Email so that I could have sent them those portraits...

Beyond Orientalism

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 08:50:57 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

"The oldest living city in the world".

I went early this morning for a walk in Kashi, the old part of Varanasi (Benaras) in order to take a few pictures.
Near Kashi Vishwanath temple (Lord Shiva's mandir) those two young Brahmans were talking seriously, they saw me taking pictures and didn't really care of it.
I found a touch of Orientalism in the composition that I could see in my camera screen, something which reminded me French paintings of the 19°.

Those two kids belong to the Brahman cast (aslo known as Brahmin) which according Hinduism, refers to the priestly caste in the Hindu caste system.
The Sanskrit word Brāhmaṇa denotes the scholar/teacher, priest, caste, class (varṇa), or tribe, that has been traditionally enjoined to live a life of learning, teaching and non-possessiveness.

Say "Paneer"

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Sat, 31 May 2008 09:24:18 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

As I was walking in the streets of Kashi, the oldest part of Varanasi (Benaras) I met this young man who is the brother of Vinod, the wrestler (pehlwan) whome I took pictures last January (www.flickr.com/photos/designldg/sets/72157603717562864).

He was with three of his friends and they asked me to make a few portraits.
It was last evening at Scindia ghat along river Ganga just before sunset.
Whenever I am shooting a portrait in India most of the time people always keep serious and frozen attitudes with no smile and I have to make them feel easy in order to see their teeth.
I often make a joke, and ask them to say “paneer” which is an Indian cheese and, as they expect me to say “cheese” they start laughind and then it becomes amazing how easy they can strike several poses as if they are professional models.

"Soul and body are all Yours"

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Thu, 29 May 2008 05:47:37 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

This picture was shot a few days ago in Armitsar which is in the state of Punjab in India.
This man was praying next to the Holy waters facing the Golden Temple, the holiest place in Sikhism, his faith and devotion touched me and was adding a kind of grace and beauty to the magical place which was surrounding me.

Ek On Kar
Sikhs believe there is only one God, who has infinite qualities and names.
He is the same for all religions.
God is the Creator,Sustainer and Destroyer.
All that you see around you is God's creation.
He is everywhere, in everything. He is fearless and has no enemies.
Only God is without birth or death, and He has and will exist forever.
The following are quotations from the Guru Granth Sahib:
a). There is but one God:
• There is only the one Supreme Lord God; there is no other.
• Soul and body are all Yours. Whatever pleases You shall happen.
• Through the Perfect Guru, one becomes perfect. O Nanak, meditate on the True One.
b). God the Creator:
• He formed the planets, solar systems and nether regions, and brought what was hidden to manifestation.
• When He so willed, He created the world.
• Without any supporting power, He sustained the universe.

"Out of His Grace and Mercy"

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Mon, 26 May 2008 10:41:17 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

I know this man since a while now.
I visited him last night to his little workshop near the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras) and he was praying at that time.
He is blind nowadays but he stays there with his sons and grandsons to whome he has been teaching the finest secrets of the art of Zardozi embroidery.

Zardozi is an ancient Persian art (Zar in Persian means gold and Dozi is embroidery) which has been passed down for many generations, dating back before the Mughal empire, reaching its zenith under the patronage of Emperor Akbar in the 17th century.
Zardozi embroidery is hand stitched predominately by Muslim men and nowadays it is mostly settled in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

On the Addaa (the wooden framework) there is a masterpiece showing Mary’s death with Jesus and angels, it will become an altar in a church in Europe.
This workshop is currently working for the Pope in Rome.
I come here often in order to see the few items made for our collections.
It is amazing to see so many ciultures working together.

Praying Allah in front of Jesus and Mary near the ghats of river Ganga, what a beautiful message of peace and hope...
However people worship it is the same God and everyone tries to take refugee in His Mercy and Grace.

"There's only one of me"

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:33:06 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

"The oldest living city in the world".

As I was walking in a little street which is leading to the Nepali temple in Varanasi (Benaras) I met this young boy who was busy with a kite.
He didn't mind that I was taking a few pictures of him and he was making funny faces.
But after a short while he almost forgot I was there and then I took those shots.
He seemed to be an happy child, he was laughing when he saw his images in my camera while I was showing him the results.

I found the title of my image in "Kids", a song by Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYB4ebbJUys

Kamlesh, a Banarasi Painter

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:42:33 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

"The oldest living city in the world".

I met Kamlesh one afternoon on the ghats along river Ganga in Varanasi (Benaras).
He is an art student from BHU (Banaras Hindu University), he was painting under a little bridge and he didn't mind that I took a few pictures of him and his work.
We spoke about modern painting for a while, it was interesting.

Nowadays modern art has received good acceptance in both national and international market.
Indian modern art is highly acclaimed in the west.

Here are a few links in order to have a look at a few Indian artists:
theory.tifr.res.in/bombay/leisure/art/list.html
www.paletteartgallery.com/artistdirectory.asp
www.artaliveindia.com/all-artist.asp

Motherhood

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:48:15 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

This is a picture of my brother's wife and their elder daughter which I shot on a boat just before sunset while we were on the lake Pichola in Udaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
The winter light and the composition are reminding me paintings from the European Renaissance.

Motherhood is maybe the most important concept in India.
"...Before the childbirth, the lady was a woman.
After the childbirth, the woman is transformed into a mother.
...Motherhood is another name of devotion.
The selfless love and devotion towards the infant or child are grown from the seeds of innocence; no cunning, scheming, selfish motives here."
(‘Woman’ to ‘Mother’ by Prof. Gunvantbhai Shah)

The mother is worshipped as the goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of prosperity) of the house.
The Sruti (Taittiriya Upanishad) emphatically declares:
"MATRU DEVO BHAVA" (Let thy mother be thy God).

Manu Smriti says:
"Where women are honoured, there the gods are pleased, but where they are not honoured, there no sacred rite is fruitful."
Such is the glory of Indian womanhood.

India has never had a mother of the nation, the nation itself has always been mother.
The entire topography of the country is dominated by the feminine; every tree, river, mountain, stream, language, claims a feminine descent.
Indians have an ongoing love affair with the word mother.

Fatherhood

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 01:52:54 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

This is a portrait of my brother with his elder daughter.
It was in August in Varanasi (Benaras) during a very hot day, we were expecting the monsoon rain and it was not easy to work on our new collection for winter.
Suddenly this little girl came in our office in order to play with her father, I took my camera and shot several pictures which are symbols of fatherhood to my eyes.

In Those Spanish Eyes

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:49:05 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

This is a portrait of a woman I met on the ghats along river Ganga in varanasi (Benaras).
She was carrying her baby on her laps and she was among a group of musicians and dancers wo came from Rajasthan in order to perform on a boat during a few days.
Most of the ladies were wearing the same red sari with big white Polka dots and almost the same jewels.
When I heard them singing I couldn't help thinking of Gitanos (Gypsies) I met in Spain.

Suddenly the connection was becoming so obvious.
Once Emilien Bouglione, who owns the well known "Cirque d'hiver" in Paris, explained me that the Roma have their origins in India and therefore they belong to the Indo-Aryan ethnic group.
Cultural anthropologists wrote about an Indian origin of the Roma based on linguistic evidence and genetic information confirms this.
In the late 1990s it was discovered that Roma populations carried large frequencies of particular Y chromosomes (inherited paternally) and mitochondrial DNA (inherited maternally) that otherwise exist only in populations from South Asia.
It is amazing then that the Nazis claimed that the Gypsies were not Aryan as they were the most ancient Aryans and even sought to protect themselves through not mixing with non-Gypsies.

The Roma are believed to have originated from Multan, located in the Punjab and Rajasthan.
The forefathers of the Roma were essentially in the service of the Katasraj group of temples dedicated to Lord Narasimha, an Avatar of Lord Vishnu.
Gold, silver, diamonds and pearls donated by rich Hindu kings and merchants to the temple made it the richest temple of that period.
The temple had to be protected by a large mercenary force of Jatt-Rajputs-Khsatris.
These temples patronised musicians and dancers, often exceeding 2000 in number.
Roma music traces its origin from these musicians in the Katasraj Temple whose way of worshipping Lord Narasimha was by performing music in his court.
The wealth of the Katasraj temple at Multan attracted Mahmud of Ghazni from present-day Afghanistan who, was able, after many failed attempts, to lay his hands on this temple's wealth.
Roma began their migration to Europe and North Africa via the Iranian plateau around 1050 CE, some joining the victor's army, others in an attempt to retrieve their honour, while many were taken into slavery.
In the course of their dispersion, the Roma lost their original Hindu identity and adopted the culture and religion of their host country.
The original Multani dialect, a colloquial mixture of the Punjabi and Sanskrit languages, has many words which are common to Roma dialects spoken by their descendants more than 40 generations later.

The Look of Exhaustion

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:12:11 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

One more portrait of a worker from this group of men who were building a part of the road in the village that leads from the Tibetan temple to Sarnath near Varanasi (Benaras).
This golden light comes from the early winter sunset.
After a long day of labor you can see an overall exhaustion on this man's face.
He was tired, covered with dust, his eyes were red, he looks tensed but after a short while he smiled at me and seemed to enjoy this moment like his other friends.

I like this portrait which reminds me a Masaï warrior whome I met in Kenya many years ago when I was a teenager, he had the same scare on his eyebrow and the same expression on his face.
He used to come every night at dusk in front of my tent and was staying there all night long in order to protect me from wild animals.
He tried to teach me a few words of swahili then but we never could share a conversation as I didn't stay long enough in the Mara at that time...memories...his face is still in my mind.

Portraits are sometimes repetitions of another, as if we could all be connected.
Trying to find connections between people is what I find interesting in this photo game, it is also a way for me to understand who I am...

The Look of Hope

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:48:37 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

"May my mind every morning become
As beautiful as hope – dawn – rays"

"Hope" by Sri Chinmoy

This young worker was building a part of the road in the village that leads from the Tibetan temple to Sarnath.
It was the end of the day, the sun provided this golden light and some intensity to his look.
I wonder what was he thinking looking at the sunset, maybe he was hoping for a better future...
I took several portraits of the group of people who was there, they enjoyed that moment, they liked to watch the results on my camera.
After working it was a break for them and nice memories for me.

Possessions...

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:20:12 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

As I was leaving Sarnath's Tibetan temple to go back to Varanasi (Benaras), I met this man on the road, he was finishing a day of labor, he seemed to be tired but when he saw my camera he came and smiled at me.
He was happy that I took a few pictures of him, he felt important for a while and I guess "I made his day"...
The sun was falling down giving this perfect golden light.

This is a poem by my friend Abhinav Vats, I wanted to add his words to this portrait even if this man is a worker building roads and does not work as what is mentioned down there:
"Possessions..." by Abhinav Vats
Two bites of a stale bread,a broken water pitcher..a few memories fading away...are my sacred possessions.
Ten cents that you gave me, 5 cents that i found on the pebbled path.. some unsold paintings,some clothes torn apart,few smiles ,a lot of tears...are my sacred possessions..
I am poor but i own this sky with thousands of lights shining bright-these friends of mine they might be hurting your eyes .these stars and some unspoken words....are my profound sacred possessions.
I am the river that runs from the sea to the mountain peak,i am the lake dried and parched yet wet when the thirsty comes to drink..
I am not what I used to be, to myself I am-my only sacred possession.
Every hitched ride,every penny earned by sleeping with a carnal client..
every other washroom's free drinking water,every bustling bus station's unclean sleeping platform,every dream and every desire..my life and my birth...are my revered sacred possessions.
I am a bird with tiny wings-I lean on the shoulder of strong winds..
I am the poisnous snake with no fangs,i cannot control whats not in my hands...
Used and abused..my body or my emotions,some were strangers some are lovers.,from one hand to another-like a bright shinning non living volley ball-I am played , traded and disposed away.
I do not possess my peculiar fate-its the robust strangers' & weak lovers' they play the game... I am at their disposition ,an entertaining possession.
My anger is in my destiny, a hungry soul never gets indignant-longs for its feed..
my destiny is not beautifull & not in my hands...this ugliness that should change some day-was..,is... my unwanted, undesired -deciphered possession.

A tale of two girls

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:06:18 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

"The oldest living city in the world".

Those two girls are standing at Jatar ghat underneath Aurengzeb's mosque along river Ganga in Varanasi (Benaras).
I don't know their name, I met them by chance as I was walking there with my friends Joel and Erina on a Sunday afternoon.
I don't know their story neither but the tale of those two girls might be able to bee seen in this image only.
I hope to be able one day to give them this picture if I ever meet them again...

I am Your Mirror's Reflection

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:26:38 +0000

Designldg has posted a doc:

"The oldest living city i the world".

A few weeks ago I was walking near Lal ghat early in the morning and I saw this young man who was looking in a mirror.
I came close and as this happened along river Ganga in Varanasi (Benaras) where reality sometimes melts with dreams, where stardust covers sadness and timeless moments are frozen forever, I heard the mirror speaking.
It said something like:
"I'm your mirror's reflection
What you don't like about me is what you hate in yourself,
You should see through others eyes..." (Lyrics from Taproot).

There is some magic in this picture, now I can see the reflection of my friend Durga in the mirror...