A photographic tribute

Inspiration for me is something which you feel is beyond you, and motivates you to reach there,” says Sharat Sharma, whose solo show of photographs, titled ‘Inspired to Inspire’, is currently on display in the city. According to him, the exhibit is a “photographic tribute to the creativity in nature and man”.

“Nature is a creation of god, while cityscapes are created by man. And when I see nature at its best, I feel rejuvenated and it takes me back to my core values. This show is all about these inspirations which I have captured through my lens,” Sharma, who is also director operations, Delhi Metro, tells Metrolife.

The vivid exhibition, which highlights cityscapes and the sublime beauty of nature including mountainscapes, also features aerial views, heritage monuments, and human emotions like faith. The show is the second in a series to be curated by his wife, Kamalnaini.

“When we were selecting the images, ‘faith’ came out as a strong theme. The idea was to depict the emotion in a silent way,” he says pointing towards an image where a woman, unaware of the lens focused on her, is busy praying and lighting candles in a church.

“What do you see,” questions the artist, who takes a momentary pause and continues, “The light from the candles is reflected on her face and brightens it up revealing her tranquil expression, which signifies faith.”

Similarly, another image which speaks volumes about ‘faith’ is of a pair of hands folded in prayer. Sharma says that while the image was clicked almost 20 years back, it has always been close to his heart. “The hands are of a man who is performing the last rites of his beloved wife,” he says.

However, along with being emotionally-stirring, the images can be best described as being perfectly symmetrical. On being asked about the same, Sharma who is an engineer by profession says he has an eye for geometric perfection. “I look out for reflections and perfections of a structure. Every frame is well balanced and in sync,” he says.

The show comprises of photographs drawn from the artist’s collection over the last two decades.

The exhibition is on until February 17 at the Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road.