Ram Shergill was born and brought up in Britain but his roots lie in India. In ‘Kaleidoscope’, his maiden exhibition here, the artiste revives his links with the nation his ancestors belonged to. Organised by Tasveer gallery, Shergill’s photographs — a mix of black and white and colour portraits — evoke the drama and colour of India.
Studying visual communications at Wolverhampton University, his encounter with milliner Philip Treacy proved to be a milestone for the photographer. He went on to work with not just Treacy but also fashion designers Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, fashion icon Isabella Blow, Judi Dench, Naomi Campbell and Amy Winehouse. He also exhibited at spaces like Whitechapel Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum and Sotheby’s. “India Fantastique” — the lavish coffee-table book released in 2012 on the occasion of the celebration of Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla’s 25 years, too featured photographs by Shergill. ‘Kaleidoscope’ also has a work or two from the book.
Here, the photographer discusses the influences and philosophy which have shaped his work. Edited excerpts from an interview:
ADVERTISEMENT
As a British born Indian, I was always acutely aware of my Indian heritage. India is my birthplace as it is, where most of my family still is, and I honestly feel like I am reconnecting with my roots, so it is a homecoming of sorts. I am very happy therefore to have the opportunity to exhibit my work here and delighted to work with one of the main photography galleries in the country, Tasveer, which has done a great deal for Indian photography, and in addition, have the support of Vacheron Constantin.
Since this is my first exhibition in India, I thought it would be fitting for it to have some relevance to India. I will be showing a few of my framed photographs. Many of these images were made in India and reflect beautiful settings in different States like Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
ADVERTISEMENT
Do you attribute the performative aspect of your work to your association with personalities like Isabella Blow, Philip Treacy and Alexander McQueen?
I believe that we are all performers, getting ready each morning for the show. I have always had a bit of a soft spot for drama, and certainly my early association with these fabulous personalities such as Isabella Blow and Alexander McQueen fanned an appreciation for theatrics.
I am also generally inspired by cinema, and grew up watching a lot of Bollywood films, which certainly also played up this fascination.
But I do think that it’s part and parcel of being, so I give my subjects a role to play. It loosens inhibitions and adds psychological depth to the photographs.
The incorporation of geometrical patterns hint at your love for the discipline. You have said your work is influenced by aArt hHistory. Any particular art movement you are really inspired by...
I would say that the works of photographers like Horst. P. Horst, Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton and Irving Penn have been particularly influential. Their extremely elegant aesthetic has not only shaped my own perspective as a photographer, but also inspired me to expand the horizons of my vision.
What kind of interactions have you had with Blow, Treacy and Mcqueen?
I had called Philip Treacy to ask if I could use his hats for a college photo project, and there has been no looking back for me since.
He permitted me the use of his hats, and said I couldn’t take it further from the street. I shot my model with it at the entrance of an old church and it was the beginning of a whole new world.
Isabella Blow, who was much more than a fashion icon, introduced me to Alexander McQueen and Selina Blow; they were all part of this small talented influential circle, and saw great potential in me.
(The exhibition is on at Saffronart, The Oberoi, Dr. Zakir Hussain Marg, till November 4. It will then travel to Bengaluru Bangalore and Kolkata)