By Kavita Chowdhury
From burly women wrestlers transfixing you with their calm yet resolute gaze, to bejewelled goddess idols spellbinding you with their ‘thousand eyes’, and fierce spirited Adivasi women armed with axes protesting against takeover of tribal land— myriad images of palpable feminine power clicked by women photographers greet you as you visit the exhibition, aptly titled, It’s Time. To see. To be seen. The riveting display forms an integral part of the ongoing Chennai Photo Biennale (CPB), a three-month-long celebration of photography being held in the capital city of Tamil Nadu.
Through its over 20 exhibitions with 150 artist photographers across the city, the Chennai Photo Biennale, now in its fourth edition, is stridently exploring self-identity and giving a platform to voices that tend to be underrepresented.
Take for instance, Prarthna Singh’s striking portraits of women wrestlers, titled Champion, that capture the resilience of these young women hailing from intensely patriarchal societies in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Singh describes how these young girls are “determined to change their destinies” through wrestling, traditionally perceived as a male bastion.
In fact, the biennale, spread across three phases, has chosen as its core theme the essential question, Why Photograph? An enquiry that seems topically relevant in an era where every random cell phone image is perceived as photography. The biennale states in its curatorial note that it wants people to “embrace photography as a medium to question, challenge and connect”.
The biennale is not restricted to just photographs but includes formats such as videos, soundscapes and even AI-generated photo art. Delphine Diallo, a New York-based photographer of Senegalese and French descent, harnesses AI tools to interestingly create a powerful imagery of black women imagined as brave warriors and goddesses bedecked in gold. Through her innovative work, Kingdom of Kush, Diallo assertively reimagines African history, stripping it off its typical portrayal as nothing more than that of an oppressed race.
Since its inception in 2016, the CPB has evolved into a prominent festival articulating a mature aesthetic expression. In the current edition, for the first time, the biennale has shone the spotlight on individualistic expressions of Tamil identity. In the show titled Vaanyerum Vizhuthugal (Roots that Reach for the Sky), 12 ‘lens-based Tamil artists’ use their cameras to articulate the multiple strands that connote their identity—whether that be of a marginalised Dalit female or queer Tamil identity or a ‘Gen-Z’ Tamil youth rediscovering his village roots.
In one such work, photographer Krithika Sriram has, through her black-and-white images, titled Beloved Daughter, turns the lens upon herself and captures intimate moments of daily life with her mother in their Chennai home. Deeply moved by Tamil author Bama’s autobiographical work Karruku, both Sriram and her mother create portraits of intimate experiences mentioned in the text—of her mother lovingly combing her hair and adorning it with jasmine flowers. Sriram says, “It was a way of acknowledging our Dalit female identity which has been historically and culturally overlooked. It was also an act of reclamation; Dalits have been traditionally oppressed and misrepresented.”
Photographer and cinematographer Jaisingh Nageswaran, who has curated the expansive show, is emphatic that there is an emergence of a distinct Tamil ‘New Wave’ identity—a self-assured, confident expression by empowered Tamil youth. Jaisingh says, “It was time that we explored authentic Tamil voices, borne out of Dravidian anti-caste movements, and celebrated our multiple identities. In fact, there is no one singular identity, there are multiple, and we embrace them all with their inherent contradictions and complexities.” Interestingly, this significant exhibition is being displayed in the midst of the glitzy VR Chennai Mall in Anna Nagar, as the biennale is keen to have the public engage with a work that otherwise they would not be exposed to.
Another unlikely venue for exhibiting a work celebrating queer and gay identity, usually a socially taboo subject, is on the lawns of the Government Museum at Egmore, a popular tourist spot. The retrospective of veteran photographer and gay rights activist Sunil Gupta, titled Love and Light, chronicles Gupta’s five-decade-long photographic journey; vivid images of queer solidarity during his early days in New Delhi, his stints in London and New York, and the AIDS scare of the 1980s.
A unique initiative at the Chennai Photo Biennale is the space that it has provided for even children’s perspectives from across the globe, be it Chennai, Gaza, or The Bronx in New York. Attempting to discover as the title suggests, What Makes Me Click?, there is a striking commonality across these disparate geographies—the children tend to photograph things that evoke strong emotions—their fears, joys and even capture candid moments.
In yet another major exhibit, provocatively titled Photography Strictly Prohibited, the retrospective of photographs of the late Navroze Contractor, filmmaker, cinematographer and bike enthusiast, is a glimpse into the passions of this versatile genius. From black-and-white portraits of jazz musicians to the striking portraits of village women to the workers at the ship-breaking yard at Alang—the relationship and bonds he develops with his subjects bring them to life.
The CPB aptly pays tribute to the city’s rich musical legacy through Amar Ramesh’s evocative black-and-white photos, titled Madras Margazhi. Life-size images of famous Carnatic musical exponents, mounted atop and on the walls of the Narada Gana Sabha building in the heart of bustling Teynampet, are an unmissable sight for the public passerby.
The CPB epitomises Chennai’s distinctive identity, encompassing a fine balance between tradition and modernity. And, most importantly, by exhibiting photography that explores multiple identities in public spaces, the biennale has attempted to engage lay audiences on critical issues.
The Chennai Photo Biennale is on till March 16.
Kavita Chowdhury is an independent journalist based in Kolkata, writing on arts, gender, politics & development. She is also adjunct faculty at Asian College of Journalism, Chennai
