There are times in everyone’s life when faith takes a beating and one questions the sheer existence of God. But slowly and surely as the Supreme unfolds what He has in store for one’s highest good, the faith returns — renewed and often stronger — for the benefit of hindsight bestows a wisdom that the present blurs. In so many ways life itself is a journey of faith — of faith in the unknown and its myriad mysteries —where myth and reality have merged to paint the canvas of one’s mind’s eye to reveal a picture that is inimitable as it is absolute. And one, the mere medium of its revelation.
Faith is eternally fascinating with multitude of sagas thread together seamlessly in an amazing interplay of socio-cultural patterns that has an almost overriding impact on the lives of a people and their cultural moorings. The visual manifestation of myths and legends eternally more fascinating for they bestow contextual significance to a place of collective faith. It is an informed peek into the amazing repository of oral history preserved through the ages with shruti and smriti and beliefs and traditions that have withstood the test of time.
For photographers, these sagas in their manifold moods and hues have held a special pull, to which many have returned time and again in an attempt to capture the rapturous dance, and then sharing their calling in the way they know best — through the camera. Pictures tell a million tales of layers within layers — every tale eternal and yet every tale gossamer and ephemeral.
Yesterday I went to see a photography exhibition Faithfully Yours with a lot of curiousity about how the younger generation perceives faith. I came away feeling very good for there was a lot of positive energy flowing in the work of these seven very talented photographers as their unique interpretation of faith which they have captured through their lens. The seven include Raajan Sharma, Shivani Punia, Rajesh Ramakrishnan, Shilpi Choudhuri, V.J. Sharma, Augustus Mithal and Ambika Sethi. The show has been curated by Ravi Dhingra under the aegis of CAMERAunLIMITED.
The group is an image-makers’ collective, whose aim is to develop a creative platform to support a range of camera-oriented practices. It attempts to build a network of partnerships through dialogue, discussion and shared ideas. The group organises exhibitions, workshops, photo walks and other associate activities with a pragmatic yet experimental approach. The endeavour is to continually challenge the status quo to help evolve this art form and expand the
individual potential of artists.
The collective statement seems almost naïve at the first go, but is a simple statement of their belief: Living in this world is an act of faith. The faith of a baby thrown into the air sure that a safe pair of arms will catch her when she falls. The faith of a wife that her husband will return home in the evening. The faith of a worker that he will receive his fair wage at the end of the day. The absolute, unwavering faith of a true devotee in his God. The faith we still have in the essential goodness of human nature. Faith is the kiss of a newly-wed couple, the embrace of two friends. Faith is an amulet on an arm, the crucifix on a chain, the smear of sacred ash on a forehead. Faith does not seek reasons, faith does not judge. Faith is an expression that comes from the heart.
The works cover the entire spectrum from the obvious to the abstract in a charming manner. Ambika Sethi’s work stands out for its sheer presentation where she put together all the images on canvases mounted in stretchers of varying thicknesses and sizes. The imagery too covers the complete gamut. Raajan Sharma’s work stands out for its brittle edge so indicative of his vast experience as design professional in a newspaper. His images from Kashmir are poignant and wistful and have a lingering effect. As a photographer, Raajan has faith in his pictures and has tried to capture as many forms as possible in the given space.
Augustus Mithal’s bold imagery is designed to have an impact as he explores faith through the prism of fashion. The works of the others too have their moments that linger in one’s mind’s canvas.
And as the viewer goes through the labyrinth of legends and reality juxtaposed in unusual and wonderful patterns, it would be important to remember that this journey into the unknown is truly a passage tempered through fire. Given the close proximity of the psyche with nature, venerated by giving it religious sanction, it is hardly any wonder that the most tirthas are located in scenic spots. For a tirtha is not just a crossing on this earth, it is a spiritual crossing between this mortal world or samsara and the heaven or swarga — after all, that too is a matter of faith…

Dr Alka Raghuvanshi is an art writer, curator and artist and can be contacted on alkaraghuvanshi@yahoo.com