One of the most eminent fashion and commercial photographers of his time, Chawla turned his attention to photographic art and portraiture in a desire to capture the personality and soul behind the images. His elegantly poised portraits have a strong sense of design and form with a focus on the subject and their self-expression.
“I just want to do simple images with strong graphic sensibilities. I don’t want any distractions of background. I want the people. Doing anything else takes away from the purity of the image. I believe in the minimal. Design is my life and aesthetics is a way of living” says Rohit.
The forthcoming exhibition at REDSEA Gallery will present the series ‘Wanderlust’, Chawla’s extraordinary look at the pastoral nomadic community of Rabaris in India. A community that has withstood the onslaught of time yet retained its identity; its innate sense of style and unity intact. Chawla pays tribute to the tribal members’ natural flamboyance, their use of traditional textiles, intricate embroidery and motifs and celebrates the relentless spirit and style of this wandering community.
Working with a Mamiya medium format camera and shooting at all different times of the day, the project took Chawla over six months to complete, shooting the nomadic community members exactly as he came across them in the Indian desert.
“Rohit Chawla’s Wanderlust portfolio is one of the most remarkable to come out of the travels of any photographer in India since Cartier-Bresson was here with his Leica in the late 1940’s.” William Dalrymple, Author and Art Historian.
“Rohit Chawla brings a technical finesse and discipline to the spontaneous world of portraiture. His search for the purity and essence in his images and his ability to capture the momentary projection of self-expression from his subjects result in these truly simple, captivating images. We are delighted to present him and his works here in Singapore.” Chris Churcher, Founder & Owner REDSEA Gallery.
Chawla’s work has received great critical acclaim; Wanderlust has been exhibited and sold out in both London and Paris; he has collaborated with many well known creative and celebrity names including Ai Wei Wei, V.S. Naipaul, Robet De Niro, Ben Okri, Frank Gehry, Anurag Kashyap and Abhay Deol; and his works are held in many private collections and museums worldwide.
Rohit Chawla’s exhibition will open at REDSEA Gallery on Tuesday April 19th 2016 and will run through to Friday 6th May 2016.
