Capturing moments in perpetuity

Two men engrossed in constructing a boat

Alok grew up in the Manikganj atmosphere and has enormous admiration for nature and the life of the people in his area: how the fishermen and weavers toil to survive. He has captured the beauty of the women's chores too. Even the moment of waiting for their husbands' return has come into focus. He works on the wide angle as he is interested in the human beings and what surrounds them. "In his photos, rivers, boats and fishermen go hand in hand," said Hassan. "The horizon, riverbank, boats and the life around have all been captured.

Alok says, "I began in 1985, when I was doing my Metric, when I had been fascinated by pictures of local trees surrounded by clouds and masses of water. At the Fine Arts Institute, I studied drawing and painting, along with carrying on with my photography. This is my 2nd solo, the first one having been at the Indian High Commission. I have been concentrating on presenting professions such as that of our weavers, potters, ironsmiths and fishermen. I've most enjoyed taking pictures from the top. It hasn't been easy as I've had to struggle in the heat, when the skin was covered by streams of sweat. The flies and dust too had to be overcome." There are 50 photographs in the exhibition, including the ones Alok had taken two years ago. He used Nikon 850 camera, with 35 wide angle.

Eminent artist Rafiqun Nabi, commenting on the work, says, "Alok has been my student and his aesthetic sense arises from being an artist. Added to that, he has learnt the techniques of photography, which have given him an added dimension. His bird's eye view of the sandbanks and silt are specially fascinating, as he appears to have composed them in his own way. His treatment, playing with forms, has added a new dimension to our local photography. I'm sure, with time, Alok will do even better."

The eminent photographer, Noazesh Ahmed, speaking on the photographs, says, "I liked the works because of the compositions, specially the ones taken from a high angle. One finds abstraction in the forms and textures, which to me is particularly overwhelming. Working with patterns and forms, Alok will eventually create a style of his own, playing with symbolism of the patterns."

The exhibition marked the World Environment Day and accentuated the beauty of simple scenes such as the river beds, fishermen constructing their boats and mending their nets, and women preparing the evening meals and waiting for the return of their husbands.