Children of the grave
Raw, gritty, evocative. Farhan's work stems from his keen interest in people and the subcultures hidden in the nook and corner of our country. His relationship with the lens began quite early on and once he found his true calling there was no stopping him. Powerful and searing, his images hint at a subtle maturity far beyond his years. What drives him is not the quest to create a perfect image, but to find a meaningful story to tell. His photographs are windows into the life of his subjects, giving us just for a moment, the chance to perceive the life on the other side of the lens. ‘My visual philosophy stems from a very personal place; from all the things I’ve seen, felt and perceived around me. My thought process isn’t driven by a search for technical perfection or creating stunning visuals but by curiosity and a passion to discover and explore. The evolution of my aesthetic sensibility is interlinked in many ways to me finding myself over the years. From being born and raised amidst the lofty mountains of the North East India followed by my travels around the globe I have managed to acquire skills that go beyond the technicalities of handling a camera - conversation, curiosity and human connection. My heart belongs in documentary photography; capturing life and sub-culture on and off the streets. Most of my photography revolves around capturing the human form and how I communicate with it. Humans are naturally curious, and photographs are a great way to show the poignant, the weird, the funny and the tragic in a single frame. It’s not the physical beauty that calls first, but what makes me photograph a person is their vulnerability that the camera helps unveil,’ says Farhan.
Children of the grave
Children of the grave
In a haunting photo series titled Children of the grave, he unfurls the story of the children and the families that make their living as gravediggers in the largest burial ground in Karnataka. The images capture a striking irony - of innocence and happiness flowering amidst paralyzing grief and death. What makes the series striking is not just the uncanny setting, but the sheer contrasts in the backdrop of the frames and the layered emotions that flow through them. I connect with Farhan and he gives me an insight into the series. ‘Under the guidance of the curators from IndiaPhotoProject, I was on the hunt for lesser documented stories around Bangalore and revisited a few places that caught my attention. It wasn’t about looking for a narrative that would get me noticed per se but about making something that mattered. I suddenly realized that a friend of mine from college works with children of the gravediggers in Bangalore. My first visit to the Kalpalli Cemetery was overwhelming and everything else seemed to fade away. Almost instantaneously I knew that I had to give my audience an insight and understanding of the lives of these children.
Children of the grave
Children of the grave
The series is shot in the largest burial ground in Karnataka, called the Kalpalli Hindu Cemetery which has been home to six generations of the 15 families that reside there. Most of their livelihood comes from these graves - doing everything connected to funeral services from grave digging to the upkeep of the cemetery. They almost seem content with their lives amongst the tombstones. The children photographed in this series are the kids of gravediggers who belong to the lowest strata of the society and have been socially and economically neglected over the years. Even though these children entertain themselves like any other around the world, no child should experience grief growing up like these kids do.
Children of the grave
Children of the grave
Instead of walking in there with all my equipment ready to photograph the kids, I wanted to approach them personally and develop a human connection. There was a lot of time spent getting to know them, roaming the graveyards and gaining their trust while sipping on tea & playing throwball. I used my phone to photograph the series because they seemed somewhat intimidated or at times too excited when I took out my DSLR. I wanted them to forget the camera and was driven to make it feel more like a mutual conversation. I seemed to notice the bleakness in their eyes, but also their happiness.
Children of the grave
Children of the grave
Standing in the graveyard far removed from where I find myself usually, this project turned into something much bigger than what I set out to seek. With every visit to the graveyard I became more perceptive to the pain hidden in those innocent eyes and the suffering behind those mischievous grins. I saw emotions that yearned to be found. Stories that were waiting to be told, waiting to be heard. It's the magic of staying alive amidst the dead, of hope that burns while surrounded in despair that stayed with me. It became a lot more than creating a captivating photo series. Made possible by the two wonderful people from Hand in Hand Charitable Trust, Samuel Gladson and Gleeda D’Silva who help these otherwise neglected children of our society through vocational and more importantly emotional support to establish them as equal and non-disadvantaged members of the society,’ sums up Farhan.
Take a look at his work here.
Text Ritupriya Basu
Take a look at his work here.
Text Ritupriya Basu
Children of the grave
Farhan Hussain