"The living environment in Qatar is really friendly and nice, I love the culture and art of the place and the outskirts’ landscapes and deserts too," says Indian photographer Ajeesh Puthiyadath, whose photographs are part of the exhibition, 'Where Cultures Meet: A Photographic Encounter between Qatar and India.' The show brings photographers from Qatar together with their Indian counterparts.
The Qatari photographers, Hamad Al Shamari and Aisha Al Sadah, who travelled to the Himalayan region of Ladakh, India, collaborated with Indian photographers Salim Abdul and Puthiyadath, who are based in Doha and have been documenting life in Qatar.
As a street photographer, Puthiyadath has visited many places in Qatar, which are famous across the world. “Among these Souq Waqif, a marketplace (souq) in Doha, Qatar. One gets a lot of street portraits and we can feel the past living atmosphere. Most of my favourite pictures were taken from Souq Waqif.”
Puthiyadath’s top picks, among the many photos he has clicked, are of a man in a blue dress, and of a lady with bird in the frame.
According to him, “The man in the blue dress, is actually a turning point in my photography life; that one picture gave me a better confidence to fix my mind in street photography. About the lady and the bird, if the bird hadn’t appeared in the frame it’s just a normal photo, so for me it’s really a special and a lucky shot.”
In his college days, before smartphones, the photographer took pictures on regular mobile phones. He says, “I’m a person who loves memories, so these old memories give me a feel-good factor. Photography is nothing but making good memories for the future.”
Aisha Ghanem Al Attiya, Head of Year of Culture at Qatar Museums, says that this particular exhibition is an important milestone of the Year of Culture programme, launched by Qatar Museums in 2012 to present the emirate to international audiences, whilst introducing the local community to the diverse cultures of partner countries.
Al Attiya says, “In 2019, we partnered with the Republic of India to host a year-long specially designed programme of exhibitions and events to promote mutual understanding, recognition and appreciation between both our nations. The exhibition sought to create an inspiring portfolio that invites audiences to discover the similarities and differences between both cultures, through the eyes of the photographers.”
The exhibition, which showcases various themes such as architecture, landscape, and street life both in Ladakh and in Doha, displays 80 pictures. According to Attiya, “This was an artist-led exhibition whereby each photographer was given the freedom to showcase their interpretation of the country’s culture.
Venue: India Habitat Centre, central atrium (outdoor), New Delhi
Till: January 12