For the majority of the 20th century, photography in India has been predominantly introspective. Built on the solid foundations of Indian photographers like Raghu Rai and Prabuddha Dasgupta, photography is becoming more and more culturally important in India and as such is arriving on the world stage.
Raghu Rai is India’s most celebrated and iconic photographer whose work, and position as a Magnum photographer, has placed him as an important global figure in both 20th and 21st century photography; he is the father of photojournalism in India and the first Indian photographer to gain such worldwide commendation. Many of his photographs are studies of both the physical and cultural landscape in India, such as those in this exhibition. Rai says. ‘When we take a picture, we have to be aware of every inch of space we're dealing with.
Prabuddha Dasgupta is also a major photographic talent in India. Dasgupta is a self-taught photographer who grew up in the cultural chaos of post-colonial India. Dasgupta’s series ‘Edge of Faith’ was taken along the coast of the Arabian Sea in Goa, on the west coast of India. Goa was liberated in 1961, after 450 years of Portuguese rule.
Prabuddha Dasgupta is also a major photographic talent in India. Dasgupta is a self-taught photographer who grew up in the cultural chaos of post-colonial India. Dasgupta’s series ‘Edge of Faith’ was taken along the coast of the Arabian Sea in Goa, on the west coast of India. Goa was liberated in 1961, after 450 years of Portuguese rule.
Ryan Lobo represents the younger generation of Indian photographers. Lobo was born in 1973 in Bangalore and he deals with the more human aspects of war and atrocity in the modern world. Lobo’s emphatic and sensitive images have duly earned him a place as one of India’s most well-known and respected contemporary photographers. In 2007, Lobo traveled to Iraq, Afghanistan and Liberia, where the photographs in this exhibition were taken. He immersed himself in people’s stories in these places in order to capture photographs that communicate something of the trials and tribulation of these troubled lands.
