Capturing the beauty of everyday life

Dilip Banerjee, a noted name in the world of photography, is coming up with a solo exhibition of photographs that seeks to narrate a visual journey of people in India and other geographies. Dilip says that the stories of his pictures are not a black and white tale but are better described in shades of grey which lend itself to many interpretations. Titled 'The Song of The Road', the show will be held from May 20 -24, at the Nehru Centre, 8 Audley Street, London.

Elaborating about the work that will be exhibited, he says, "My photographs will depict images across four decades capturing fleeting moments of people I have come across – their stories of affection, struggle, despair, sorrow. In war and peace, in politics and sports, in market places and homes. While technology has closed distances, unequal distribution of wealth has widened the gap in humanity. My pictures hold out the stark differences that exist today, in many senses a paradox for the society we live in," says Dilip.

Banerjee did not have any formal education in photography, and most of his learnings have come from his observations in life. "Filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen and their ability to hold up the truth in simple frames has often led me in my work."

Recalling one of the best trips that gave him exotic moments to capture, Banerjee says, "While my work across the years has taken me to many places, I consider my travails to Afghanistan as one of the most fascinating ones as I first travelled soon after 9/11. I travelled to Afghanistan almost five times over a decade to chronicle the struggle of the people, its culture and landscape. While terror strikes and bomb blasts still make headlines, it's the story of the resilience of the people that has struck me most."

Some other notable travel documentation by the photographer include 'Rediscovering the silk-route' where he travelled by road and documented the people, culture, and architecture of the central Asian region. He also travelled as a photo-journalist with the first group of Asian caravan to Gaza –Palestine and documented the entire journey. He was invited by UC Berkeley in October 2005 to hold a solo exhibition. The topic for the exhibition was 'India on the move' where he tried to capture the India growth story through my pictures over the years. His photographs were highly appreciated and acclaimed.