|
 Nandini
Valli's photographs are on view (The Definitive Incarnate) at
the Alliance Francaise of Madras (AFM) gallery from June 6 - 27.
The opening is
on Wednesday at 6.30 p.m. at AFM Gallery and is open to all.
Born in 1976,
Nandini Valli was raised in Chennai in a liberal and privileged
environment.
She completed
several degrees before straying into the world of photography by
accident. A chance apprenticeship with a leading Chennai
commercial photographer taught her all that she needed to know
about the technicalities of photography. But it was not enough
for Nandini Valli to be just another photojournalist or
commercial photographer.
It was these realisations that led her to
pursue a degree in photography in the UK. And it was here that
she encountered the world of contemporary art photography and
became aware of the acute need to contribute to this fascinating
world of contemporary visual culture. Nandini
Valli completed a B.A. Honours in Photography in 2005 from the
Arts Institute at Bournemouth, UK. Instead of settling down in
the UK, she chose to return to Chennai, as her inspiration is
her city and its people. Nandini Valli's
photographic works are influenced by photographers such as
Gregory Crewdson, Tina Bamey, Jonathan Torgovnik, Raja Deen
Dayal, to name a few. The underlying tone of
her works is that of identity and of the 'self gaze', her own as
well as those whom she has photographed; be it the mis-en-scene
series that looks at the physical beauty of God or the 'Indian
family'. Colour is very central to Nandini
Valli's work. Her photographs seek to reinvent
the way people perceive and stereotype our beliefs and
ourselves. She has explored the art of cropping a frame to make
the viewer imagine for themselves what may lie beyond that which
has been portrayed physically in front of them.
R Rangaraj |
