Developing a discourse

ISSUE: 143

Documentary photographer Taha Ahmad believes his work has a greater purpose than merely being admired by a select audience for its esthetic value. It’s when people are able to see the underside of society and understand the prevailing social injustice that the work tries to reveal that it is truly worthwhile.

How were you drawn to art?

TA: I come from a very old family of Lucknow. My late grandfather, Afzal Ahmad, who was a lawyer, took great pride in the arts and cultural scene of Lucknow. Mushairas, baithaks, mehfils and performances used to take place in our courtyard every weekend, with numerous famous people from the city and around visiting our house. Urdu poetry and Hindustani classical music was a part of my upbringing and routine. This evoked a passion inside me to create, preserve my identity, and to have a sense of cultural belonging.

What inspires you?

TA: I draw inspiration from a lot of sources starting from my roots and my region of Awadh to literature, mythology, folklore, and Urdu as a language – all this acts as an inspiration to create. Most of my art projects originate from these personal spaces and slowly transition into a space where they talk about broader socio-political problems and social injustice that persists in our society. I draw a fine line however between the origin of my ideas and the origin of my visuals. My visuals are always inspired by cinema and filmmakers like Andrei Tarkovsky, Kurosawa, Abbas Kiarostami, Satyajit Ray, Saeed Mirza and many more who have challenged the nuances of still and moving imagery. The treatment of my visuals varies as it depends upon the subject, the theme and the communities I am working with. Different art periods like surrealism, pop and op art also act as a provenance to the style, process and execution of my works.

Please share your aspirations.

TA: As diverse as my practice is, I have a lot of things on my platter. I am currently working on a few new exhibitions; developing a work on climate change for the Swiss embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs; working on some new personal projects under the aegis of grants I have received; and waiting for the release of an amazing Hollywood film I have worked on.

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