KATHMANDU: The Black Line took over Siddhartha Art Gallery, Babermahal on May 25 and 26 as 30 photos celebrating the scenic beauty of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta were put up to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Colombia.

Photos taken by veteran Colombian photographer Coque Gambia adorned the walls of the gallery’s first floor in the exhibition titled ‘Black Line: Sacred Landscape of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta’. Not only the scenic beauty of the place, the photos also shed light on the people and sacred values of the place.

The photo after which the exhibition was named ‘Black Line’ had a series of mountain ranges with clouds hovering overhead in the sky. The composition just caught one’s eye.

A group of photos featured mamus (priests) of Sierra Nevada with black hair till their necks, white round caps on their heads, and wearing white clothes. The caption read: “Through the thought of mayors mamus the holy places are remembered since its creation by the father sun. Each step of mamu is like he asks permission to land. Consciousness when walking and walking consciousness are demands of mamu.” Other photos showed mamus walking on the seashore.

In another photo, a hand (that seems to have years of experience of collecting seashells) was captured collecting seashells. It was described thus: “The sea is the major supplier of sacred food. Seashells are spiritual food. They are part of our inner song that allow to operate spirituality.”

In two other photos, Gambia narrated his ancestors’ mythical story behind the creation of the ‘world house’. The first photo had two huts (which he called the world house) made of straw. The other was pyramid-shaped house and looked like an X-Ray of the first picture — woven with threads. These two photos were explained as, “In this way the thought of the world house is woven so that it truly reflects the weave of the world and everything around us. The threads that bind all the living beings become apparent.”

The exhibition was organised by the Embassy of Colombia in India and in collaboration with the consulate of Colombia in Nepal. This was the second exhibition by the Embassy.