Celebrating Chennai’s Margazhi legacy, climate resilience through photography
It’s Time. To See. To Be Seen is on display at the Lalit Kala Akademi until March 16, featuring works from women photographers worldwide.
Shot captured by Amar Ramesh (L), Shot captured by Bhumika Saraswati (R)
CHENNAI: It’s that time of year when Chennai comes alive with the vibrant sounds of classical music and dance. In celebration of the city’s rich tradition and culture, photographer and Studio A founder, Amar Ramesh, has crafted a photo series that serves as a heartfelt tribute to Chennai’s Carnatic legacy.
“I juxtaposed Madras and Carnatic music for the exhibition Madras, Margazhi, and Music. I chose iconic places in Chennai to capture portraits of prominent Carnatic musicians at these locations,” shares Amar Ramesh. The renowned locations include Koyambedu Market, Central Station, Marina Beach, Santhome Church, Broken Bridge, Gandhi Mandapam, and Natesan Park. In total, 45 musicians are featured in 45 distinct city locations.
Pictures of Carnatic musicians and vocalists by Amar Ramesh
“I picked these spots as it’s unusual to see Carnatic musicians in these places; they’re more often found performing in sabhas,” he explains. The entire series is in black and white to create a documentary effect, allowing the focus to be on the musicians’ emotions and simplicity, rather than on other elements like fashion. Among the musicians featured are TK Murthy, Dr TV Gopalakrishnan, Aruna Sairam, the Lalgudi siblings GJR Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi, P Unnikrishnan, Dr Nithyasree Mahadevan, Mandolin U Rajesh, and many others. Explaining the concept further, Amar reflects, “Madras is transforming into Chennai, and I wanted to highlight the old charm of Madras that we are gradually losing. Similarly, Carnatic music is transforming, with contemporary styles and new artistes. This parallel led to an unplanned but successful experiment.” Madras, Margazhi, and Music photo exhibition is on display at Narada Gana Sabha until February 3 as part of the Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation’s fourth edition.
Meanwhile, photographer Bhumika Saraswati from New Delhi captures the unequal impact of the climate crisis on marginalised communities, particularly women in South Asia. Bhumika is one of the photographers featured in the ‘It’s Time. To See. To Be Seen’ exhibition, part of the Biennale, which focuses on how women perceive the world through their photographic practices.
The 26-year-old artist aimed to document the struggles of women farmers, whose contributions are often overlooked. “Heat is an invisible, slow killer. Unlike floods or other natural disasters, heat’s impact is gradual. I wanted to capture the resilience, joy, anger, and determination of women facing inequality,” she shares.
Bhumika also highlights the underrepresentation and underappreciation of women in photography. “Many women photographers working in mainstream media are not independent because the system doesn’t allow us to work freely. Everyone has a different perspective, and not every visual can be captured by men,” she adds.
It’s Time. To See. To Be Seen is on display at the Lalit Kala Akademi until March 16, featuring works from women photographers worldwide.