Suvra Kanti Das
UnFrame
Dhaka, Dhaka Division, Bangladesh
Suvra Kanti Das is a photojournalist whose works refer to the genres of romanticism, grand-guignolesque, black humor and symbolism, that seems he creates work through labor-intensive processes which can be interpreted explicitly as a personal exorcism ritual. In fact, he is inspired by a nineteenth-century tradition of works, in which an ideal of ‘Fulfilled Absence’ was seen as the pinnacle.
His works are based on inspiring situations: visions that reflect a sensation of indisputability and serene contemplation, combined with subtle details of odd or eccentric, humoristic elements. By demonstrating the omnipresent lingering of a ‘corporate world’, he wants to amplify the astonishment of the spectator by creating compositions or settings that generate tranquil poetic images that leave traces and balances on the edge of recognition and alienation.
Das’ photographs appear as dreamlike images in which fiction and reality meet, well-known tropes merge, meanings shift, past and present fuse. Time and memory always play a key role. By questioning the concept of movement, he seduces the viewer into a world of ongoing equilibrium and the interval that articulates the stream of daily events. Moments are depicted which only exist to punctuate the human drama. Clarifying our existence and to find poetic meaning in everyday life.
His work doesn’t reference any recognizable form. The results are deconstructed to the extent that meaning is shifted and possible interpretation becomes multifaceted. By exploring the concept of landscape in a nostalgic way, he uses references and ideas that are so integrated into the process of the composition of the work that they may escape those who do not take the time to explore how and why these images haunt you, like a good film, long after you’ve seen them.
2018 - Il Reportage photojournalism Award, 2016 - DAYS JAPAN International Photojournalism Awards, 2016 - Il Reportage photojournalism Award, 2015 - NordArt 2015, 2015 - Asian Environmental Journalism Awards., 2014 - Sony World Photography Awards , 2014 - SDN , 2013 - Finalist at Photovisa
- Breaking news
- Conflict
- Crisis
- Environment
- Interview
- Landscape
- Military embed
- Portrait
- Sports
Existence
Suvra Kanti Das
Rohingyas are a Muslim minority in Myanmar regarded by many Myanmar Buddhists as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. They are denied citizenship in Myanmar and have been described as the world’s most persecuted minority. Since the 1970s Rohingya refugees have been coming to Bangladesh from Myanmar. In the 1990s, more than 250,000 resided in refugees camps in Bangladesh. In the early 2000s, all but 20,000 of them were repatriated to Myanmar, some against their will. As of December 2017, an estimated 655,000 to 700,000 Rohingya people have fled to Bangladesh since 25 August 2017, to avoid ethnic and religious persecution by Myanmar's security forces.
Contaminated Land
Suvra Kanti Das
Dhaka’s Hazaribagh area, widely known for its tannery industry, has been listed as one of the top 10 polluted places on earth by two international research organizations. At least 160,000 people have become victims of pollution due to the presence of toxic chemicals, mainly chromium. Tanneries in the city's Hazaribagh area discharge more than 30,000 square meters of liquid wastes every day. These harmful wastes, including chromium, lead, sulphur, ammonium, salt and other materials, are severely polluting the capital city and the river Buriganga. Apart from hexavalent chromium, which is a well-known carcinogen, workers and residents of Hazaribagh also face a number of less severe but common health problems every day. Skin and respiratory diseases, for instance, result from repeated exposure to hazardous chemicals when measuring and mixing them as part of the tanning process. Acid burns, rashes, aches, dizziness, and nausea are also common health problems faced by local residents.