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Ongoing Exhibitions
Homai Vyarawalla: A
Retrospective Curated By Sabeena Gadihoke
NGMA in collaboration with the Alkazi Foundation
for the Arts
May - June
This exhibition is an illustrated journey through
the rich photographic world of Homai Vyarawalla as
she captured the last days of the British Empire
and the birth of a new nation.
Curator's Note
Having worked for thirty three years of her life
Homai Vyarawalla gave it all up one day. Why did
she give up photography?
Often meant for a fleeting glimpse in the
newspaper, press photographs become visual
archives of the future. Homai Vyarawalla’s
photographs chronicling the defining moments of
India’s Independence have acquired an iconic
status and are now integral to a Nationalist
version of history. According to this version,
some people led and others followed. As important
people dominated photographs, ordinary citizens or
`the masses’ frequently found themselves relegated
to the margins. Sometimes, they would be `cropped’
from the frame to accommodate more prominent
figures.
Like all periods of history, these too were
troubled times even though they are commonly
perceived by many to have been `innocent’. But it
was also a time of hope as a majority of the
leaders and citizen-photographers shared a dream
for the future. Photographers continued to
exercise restraint while pursuing their subjects
despite the increasing demand for candid
photography. As was perhaps inevitable, the
following decades brought disillusionment as the
Nehruvian dream faltered. As press photographers
struggled to adapt to the changing times, Homai
Vyarawalla chose to lay down her camera. A new
world had emerged; one she could hardly recognize.
This show has emerged out of my thirteen year
journey with Homai Vyarwalla. It started with a
film, went on to become a book and has now taken
the shape of this exhibition. In this
retrospective, I have sought to map the
significant moments of her repertoire by including
photographs that have circulated widely along with
those that have not. My attempt was to frame the
photographs within a larger cultural history and
draw attention to their circulation in public and
private domains. In addition to the cameras and
equipment that she used, the exhibition displays
letters and other memorabilia that speak of
alliances and friendships forged through
photography. Another cluster of images are of the
photographer herself. These offer insights into
the life of a pioneering woman who chose an
unconventional profession.
Vyarawalla’s attempt to lead an ordinary life was
transformed through the extraordinary
circumstances of history. On the one hand she shot
political moments as they unfolded and on the
other, she chronicled the lives of people like
herself. The former found a permanent place in
collective memory while the latter lie scattered
in the personal archives of those who had the
privilege of being photographed by her. Like all
exhibitions, this too is only partial. But it
hopes to start a journey of many new discoveries
about the life and times of Homai Vyarawalla.
Sabeena Gadihoke
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