Unseen Kashmir, lucid Ladakh

Irfan Nabi’s brilliance lies in his ability to produce a series of images that can hold just as much as we put into it, says Uma Nair

When you read about Glimpses of Ladakh, Kashmir and Naropa Festival — Kumbh of Himalayas by photographer Irfan Nabi and the filmmaker-writer Nilosree Biswas, you know you have to take out time to visit these places. But one can traverse these diverse hues of Kashmir and Naropa festival at the Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre.

Interestingly, Nabi, who originally hails from the Sanatnagar area of Srinagar, worked as a doctor but left his job in Dubai to pursue his passion for photography and writing. And thus, photography turned from a hobby to a profession once his work got featured at the National Geographic Museum. His work took the shape of a book after he met filmmaker/writer Biswas, whose independent documentary titled, Broken Memory Shining Dust, was an official selection at the 65th Cannes International Film Festival. Later, they co-authored Alluring Kashmir, published by Niyogi books, which covers several aspects of the valley related to its history, spirituality, landscape, arts and craft besides culture.

This show at IIC has a couple of photographs from both Kashmir and Ladakh that are indeed milestones in myriad moods. Winter Musings — grey, Dal Lake, 2014 is a stunning monochromatic ember that holds within the silhouette of barren branches, huts in the background and a lone boat on the dulcet waters, more than a mirror of tales. Yet another image White Christmas has a lone chapel, a cross in the distance and the undulating snow. Nabi knows these terrains and has an uncanny sensitivity — when he clicks the shutter, his quest is to photograph truthfully and effectively along with capturing the moment that invites the viewer to see beneath the surface.

Stopping at yet another rare beauty — you see the mountain horses walking in the rain. You gaze at it for sometime and you know that a great photograph is also about finding expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety. Nabi knows the land and also has an intuitive insight in the formation of narratives — you look at the landscapes of Kashmir  and know that a photograph is usually looked at — seldom looked into.

Move then to the cold desert air and arid soiled brown tenor of Drass — the second coldest place on earth. Rush Hour with the rising hues of cloudy soil and the mountain sheep is yet another brilliant image that signifies that photography is more than a mere medium for factual communication of ideas, places or people. It is the culmination and the association of human elements that converge to give us dialogues that unravel a creative art.

Contrast it with Veil of Husk, Gurez. This makes us think of Nabi as a pilgrim, a philosopher who keeps his mind on the moment.  He tells us in a subtle way that when we shoot moments in the space of working idioms, we must reflect not just what we should perceive, create or produce, but the subject we choose to portray  should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit.

Nabi’s brilliance lies in his ability to give us a series of images that can hold just as much as we put into it, even as we approach the full possibilities of the medium.

Among the images of Ladakh, Merger is a stark shot that tells us of an age-old truth — if you want to learn the history about a place, all you have to do is look at its inhabitants, and the  habitation. This iconic image is like a postcard for posterity. Amid the arid hues of the land you see the white punctuations of their dwelling. One knows for certain that Nabi is more than a documentarian — whenever he shoots people and places and portraits, it’s almost as if its subjects are looking back at him — showing their dignity, pride and humanity, perhaps they are a marker on the timeline of history.

The show unveils the truth that photography, as a powerful medium, offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation and execution. Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer and one sees differently with colour photography than black-and-white. In short, visualisation must be modified by the specific nature of the equipment and materials being used. In this case, Nabi is a great discovery.

Show runs at IIC till January 29.