Berlin
The Forgotten Frames: Post-colonial black and white photographs by Manoj Kumar Jain
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We take pride in presenting our new Exhibition „the forgotten frames“ by Manoj Kumar Jain which commemorates 10 years of our Gallery. For the exhibition, the photographer introduces audiences to a simple world of people of Bastar, a small society which still led a rather unspoiled and tradition loaded life deep in the forests. Between 2002 and 2008, Manoj Kumar Jain travelled several times to this destination and spent approximately 150 days in this remote area. His forgotten frames add up to a portrait of a very particular society, its everyday life, its traditions and above all its individuals.
A selected number of analogue black and white photographs presented in the gallery are postcolonial, they come from an Indian inside perspective, yet they reflect neither an analytic or a mere documentary view. As visitors explore, they would witness the photographer´s interest towards the formalistic art approaches. „His eyes seem to deconstruct the image into forms and lines and sometimes his compositional ideas even turn into drawings.” – Dr. Uta Ruhkamp, Curator, Wolfsburg Museum observes. „There is an element of harmony in his photography, if not a search for it.“ she explains further in her essay Tales of truth written for the catalog for this exhibition.
Inspired by the tradition of simple living, Manoj Kumar Jains talent lies not only in his compositional frames, but also in staying close to the people he captures. These portraits speak of waiting, surveying, of temporarily becoming part of a society, of earning trust. His body
of work captures a world in transformation, both in seemingly timeless beauty and in a beauty that has very little time left .
51 year old Manoj Kumar Jain graduated from the Delhi College of Art in 1992. His award-winning work has been showcased in national and international exhibitions and forms a valuable part of several art collections. He lives and works in new Delhi.
A limited edition catalogue with selected works of Manoj Kumar Jain and essays on his work by Dr. Uta Ruhkamp, curator Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany, and Prof. Nandini Sundar, professor of sociology, Delhi School of Economics, India, would be available during the exhibition.
Man with his prized possession. Village Bade Donger, 2005. 40 x 55 cms( approx) S/W Hahnemühle Papier ©Manoj Kumar Jain/courtesy UTMT
