My Featured Blogger this week is Narayan Kaudinya of Road to Nara. Narayan is a travel writer, ethnographer and Indologist whose articles on indigenous tribes and teaching in the Himalayas have been published in the Yale Journal of International Affairs. His heartfelt humanity is evident in every post, but never more than in this photo essay employeeing images from Turkish photographer Ugur Gallankus. To read more of Narayan’s work or to follow his blog, click here!
Once in many years comes a project that brings your life’s reality to a halt. Probably bringing a comma or a complete stop for some time. Even though it isn’t a big deal to be trained in the visual medium today as everyone’s eyes roll over social media like clouds moving above us, most of the time everything passes as our heads are always elsewhere, but that one moment when the thunder strikes, we come back to life.
Our World is at war, not at its peak as the real WAR is still a few years away, but as we read this article in 2024, the world is already at a boil and anytime expected to burn — unless things, governments, war companies do mend their ways, but even for that the time has already gone.
Ever since the US moved out of Afghanistan, West Asia and the Middle East have become ever so vulnerable. The endless war in Africa, Syria, Yemen, as well as Afghanistan and Russia-Ukraine. And now ever since Hamas militant’s condemnable attacks on Israeli Civilians on 7th October 2023, the counter Israeli attack has been brutal. But for how long will you keep looking at those images of war and then moving on, as if documenting yet another day.
Yesterday when I came across Ugur’s work on war. It not only stopped me from doing anything else, but brought me close to tears. I must tell you, it is not easy for me to become numb. It brought not just another universe to life for me, but one parallel universal truth that makes us look at humanity and inhumanity in single frames. Ugur’s magnificent work started shouting at me and forced me to share this very important work with you, my co-travellers and family here. We could be living in any part of the world and have differing opinions about right and wrong, but here is one work that stands shouting at all of us without any sound.
These images are heart-achingly, heart-wrenchingly agitating, confusing and unnerving, provoking one to get up and do something; pushing us to confront some of the strange emotions that we normally run from. Some unsettle the settled, make thinking or doing anything else impossible. And thus ever since I laid my eyes on this work of the Turkish Photographer Ugur Gallenkus, I could do nothing but marvel at his work. I want to tell him in my own small way how important this work is.
How can there be such destruction and symphonies at the same time? I would especially appreciate it if you would share your views about this project and any particular images that spoke to you.
A wonderful tribute to Nara so much deserved, Mich❣️
These are powerful images.
Interesting shots.
Wow. Just wow. There’s so much to try to process in these images.
There is indeed, Sarah.
Wow. Just amazing photos.
Wonderful…
OMG, the pictures are heart-breaking. What a great photographer who puts the devastation, the tragic, the injustice and the ignorance of this world together. Thank you for sharing this. The photos go so deep!
The images you shared are worth a thousand words
No words are required the images say it all.
It is heartbreaking and unsettling and yet the injustice is no fault of children playing on a playground, or mother’s shopping, when terrible things are happening far away. Maybe we all know…and yet, still must
learn to love the person next door or down the street. Yes my friend Mitch, it is a strange and awful and beautiful and astonishing world we live in. Thank you so much for sharing these amazing compositions on film.
My privilege, Pete.
The images are phantastic!
This was a most powerful share by Narayan. 💔
Heartbreaking images. Some have the audacity to deny the tragedies of war.
These images send such a powerful message. No child in this world should die of starvation; that was the image that really got to me. Compare the cost of nourishing food to the cost of the instruments of war.
Incredible, heart breaking, profound 😥
You found Narayan, and ran every picture of his latest post! Good for you! That guy is a living gift to us all. 👏👏
Amazingly effective pictures to cause an emotional response. Next there needs to be a blurb about a way to help in some of the countries. Perhaps we all need to come up with our own idea of how to help and do that.
“Brevity is the soul of wit,” and wow, these simple images spoke volumes. I think the two that resonated with me the most viscerally were the Oscars and the robotic vacuum vs landmine. I’ll be thinking about these for quite a while. Thx, Mitch.
My privilege, Darryl.
Mitch, these images are powerful!!
Wow, what remarkable pictures. Heart-breaking, thought-provoking and chilling. I’d have to say the one with the young kid holding a machine gun on one side with a guitar on the other really got me. Thanks so much for sharing, Mitch.
My privilege, Rhonda.
It breaks my heart when I see innocent child losing their lives over something they completely don’t even have an idea about. Thats so inhumane for those funding and supporting this genocides.
Thanks for sharing
Love your pictures they speak alot.
So sad!