CPB 2024 | Light, Salt, Water by Sujatha Shankar Kumar represents permanence and change

Sujata Shankar Kumar Photo Courtesy: Sangeeta Rajan

There are some elements which are essential to maintain life. Air, food, water and shelter are what we know as the basic building blocks of civilization that go beyond human life. Photographer, designer and writer Sujatha Shankar Kumar explores the essential elements of life in her photography show Light, Salt, Water, displayed at Artworld Sarala’s Art Center as part of the Chennai Photo Biennale (CPB).

“How long will we survive? Why are we so caught up in the idea of ​​sustainability? This is what my show talks about. About how we take everything that seems fleeting and turn it into something that lasts,” she says. Curated by Anahita Banerjee, director of Artworld Sarala’s Art Centre, her show is a collection of projects she has done over the years. Some shot on traditional film and some digitally, the projects reflect ideas about how we interact with the world around us and how we imagine our place in it.

The collection’s first project, which depicts the reflections of tall buildings in the Chicago River, is the oldest project on display, shot in 1994. “The idea was that even in a city like Chicago, where everything is hard and things are ephemeral, humans put a lot of effort into making things permanent. It occurred to me that once upon a time these were grasslands and marshes, and the reflections looked different,” she says, adding that the same waters that have brought the past will also bring the future.

These images were shot on Ilford 400 film, a type of high-speed camera film. “With this kind of film, I can choose what color I want to print. I printed these images in greyscale, brown and blue and the blue looked best because of the water,” she says.

Porul | Photo Courtesy: Sangeeta Rajan

Another fascinating project on display is his ode to the city of Chennai. Shot in Parry, George Town, Triplicane and Mylapore, the project is a depiction of a place through objects and patterns rather than people. The images of objects of daily life like idli steamers, plates, carpets and pans represent life in their own way without including people in the frame. “I don’t like to fire people because I feel like I’m using them. I like objects and textures,” says Sujatha The note accompanying the project explains Porul, which means objects in Tamil. According to Porutala (Book of Porul) this word also means wealth. TirukkushahWhich became an unexpected inspiration for the series of photographs.

The element of salt is depicted in the show with three images of the salt fields of Marakkanam, a coastal town in Viluppuram district. This project is the most valuable. Printed on Hahnemühle archival matte fiber paper, the monochrome images depict salt extraction from the sea. A particular image titled ‘Watching the Mound’ is prominent in the series. It depicts a heap of salt arranged like a pyramid and a dog guarding the treasure of the sea.

Light, Salt, Water by Sujatha Shankar Kumar will be on display at Artworld Sarala Center for the Arts as a part of the Chennai Photo Biennale till January 12, 2025.