Shweta Malla

Kathmandu:

To capture a semblance of reality in a slide is not a complicated task today but to bring out the reality that surpasses the human eye in a single picture is a gift not many are born with. The creations of awardwinner Kevin Bubriski depict this quality. Bubriski is currently exhibiting his black and white monochromes at Indigo Gallery from 17 February. These include work from his 1990s trips to Tibet - life in monasteries, the countryside and city; Khampas, pilgrims, people in daily life; architecture, landscapes and abstract shots. Bubriski’s first visit to the Himalayan kingdom was in 1975, and his work over the years depict his immense love for the Himalayas. A traveller and nature lover, mountains have always held his interest. “The vibrant life of Kathmandu and the beauty of the countryside struck me and I knew it was love at first sight,” he says. Exploring photography in his teens and working as a fine art photographic printer for the French photographer Bernard Plossu, Bubriski moved towards perfection with each click of his camera. His major clients are collectors, museums and fine arts institutions. Bubriski’s main motive is to enrich the appreciation of human diversity and complexity through visual media. He likes travel assignments the most because they cause him to question his assumptions and keep his vision fresh.

When questioned about his choice of the colours, black and white, he says, “I like the strong expressive qualities of black and white, which allow the viewer to concentrate on the design and structure of image.” Bubriski says that the advantage of black and white is that he has complete control of developing the film and prints in his own darkroom. “I get great satisfaction in making the final prints on my own. Each of my prints are, in fact, handmade. Digital photography has won me over due to the expedience and power with which expressive colour images are made, instantaneously.” Bubriski feels that his black and white images of Nepal over the past 30 years have expressed the enduring integrity of the Nepalis people and their culture. Many of his photographs from the last 20 years have an old world quality that derives both from the austerity of the black and white medium and also from the rapid changes sweeping Nepal. Bubriski has staged more than 31 solo exhibitions at museums, galleries and universities. The exhibition at Indigo Gallery is his fifth in Kathmandu. “I started photography when I was 13 and enjoy seeing what things looked like in photographs. I have always enjoyed exploring things or situations that I thought had possibilities of making interesting photographs.” For the past 10 years he has used the Hasselblad medium format camera. “I don’t do anything special with the black and white photographs except work on the prints in the darkroom painting a bit with light. By that, I mean, adding or reducing exposure to certain parts of an image to heighten the emotional quality of the final print and to guide the viewer’s eye to certain parts of the photograph,” says he.

Though he was away from Nepal for almost eight years, Bubriski finds great pleasure being in Nepal. “I realised the depth of my connection with Nepal upon seeing so many Nepalis and expatriate friends during my recent visit to Kathmandu,” he says. He realised later that Nepal would always be a part of him. His favourite photograph on display at Indigo Gallery is “The Monks of Tsurphu Monastery in Tibet Carrying Food Offerings”. The photograph is successful in its strong design elements with both the monks and their shadows caught in the image. The way the four monks work together to accomplish the task of carrying the heavy casks of food shows the spirit of friendship and a unique quality of harmony.

“I chose photography as a career after my two years with the Peace Corps in the Karnali zone. I wanted to use the camera to show the hardships of life in the remote northwest region of Nepal to people in both Kathmandu and abroad. I still keep my faith in the possibility of photography and all the arts (music, poetry, painting, storytelling) as ways of connecting people of different cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. Through these cultural exchanges we can find common ground and appreciation of our differences,” says Bubriski. Bubriski has published three books of his work: “Portrait of Nepal”, “Power Places of the Kathmandu Valley” and “Pilgrimage: Looking at Ground Zero”. He’s received numerous grants, Fulbright Fellowship, Nepal, Nepal Photography Project, Film Study Center, Harvard University and the Guggenheim Fellowship, Photography. Most recently, Bubriski received a 2004 Hasselblad Masters Award. He is currently working on a retrospective on thirty years of his photography. The exhibition at Indigo Gallery started on February 17 was extended till 31 March with prior request of the art lovers. Bubriski’s exhibition is on till March 31.