07 December,2013 09:20 AM IST | | Soma Das
Two years ago, New York-based interior designer Shirin Kumaana- Wadia was in Mumbai, to visit her ailing grandfather. As she held his hand, she captured a fleeting moment on her cellphone. That eventually led her to pursue photography and the images she has clicked over the last few years are now on display at The Viewing Room.
Cityscape of New York
The architect-interior designer's images reflect picturesque cityscapes, ornamental facades, reflections playing on surfaces of glass buildings and the ocean, cloud patterns in the sky, illuminated bridges and monuments. Over the years, she has experimented with cameras, editing tools and printing methods.
Shirin Kumaana-Wadia
While the 32 images on display mostly depict New York City (she shifted there from Mumbai in 2003), there are two images of Mumbai as well. It includes the poignant image Roots, which depicts the stone slab on which her grandfather was placed before his final journey to the Tower of Silence (according to Parsi customs). She shares, "This exhibition gives me the opportunity to share my vision of the world, which is infused with inspirational beauty and a sense of spiritual wonder. I hope it inspires everyone who encounters them."
An image of a dance performance
Wadia adds that the title, To Eternity and Back, is about her journey since her grandfather's demise. "I took to spirituality through meditation in a big way, and it has changed the way I see the world and people. I share my photographs with inspirational messages daily through social media, and Facebook," she adds.
The Queen's Necklaceu00a0
Wadia also admits that urban spaces speak to her and inspire her: "I live in an urban space (and have lived my whole life in big bustling cities), so the urban space happens to speak volumes to me: I recognise its true essence, its language of forms and symbols and I am deeply moved by them. I have photographed non-urban spaces as well, but for my debut exhibition, I decided to focus on the urban space."
