‘Time After Time’- Photography exhibition by Juhi Kulkarni.

The motivating factors of these creations are emotions and contortions of psyche. Most of the visuals capture solitude, longing, fear and serenity experienced by every individual.  It is a quest to explore and highlight unfathomable side of human nature.

Artist : Juhi Kulkarni

Delving into personal experiences of every person the artist capture their apprehensions, bliss and inner solace; these though are primarily on surmise. The meditative pose and feelings in some of them are the ultimate willingness of the individual to find internal peace in this world of chaos. In this series Juhi Kulkarni has ventured to explore women psychology. There is a common thread of feelings flowing though the images and viewers. We find a strong affection for life and viewer is at liberty to associate individual feeling to every image.

The reality is presented in esthetic manner and the expressions have emotional tableaux. The photography works as a facilitator to get people’s feelings, hopes and dreams across, therefore each image exceeds more than being a picture of someone consciously posing for camera.      

As stated by the artist herself, she draws inspiration from Purana and Ancient Indian Vedic culture, so the symbolism in her photography clearly depicts metaphysical aura.

E- Card

The unique feature of this series is the dual exposure of every photograph. The artist has perfectly developed her photographs as paintings. It shows that the photography is not just about shutterbugs and clicks but a reflection on pure self. Juhi Kulkarni is successful in doing so as she has given her photographs a touch of painting. Many images are actually the photographs of paintings. The lines and curves tangled in each other with an emotional face in foreground makes emotion unambiguous and true to its feelings.

The artist’s passionate photography is also seeded in the humanitarian steps that she carries out in her everyday life. Working as a volunteer in Art of Living course has made her probe within herself and added to her skill of capturing the real self of the people. Her charitable act of donating the proceedings from the sale to NGO ‘Gift a Smile’ again reflects her humanitarian and philanthropic character in her photography.

Interview with Juhi Kulkarni

P JK ( Pankaja JK)    JK ( Juhi Kulkarni)

The following interview highlights Photography artist Juhi Kulkarni’s positive attributes and professional inclinations that add life to her Still photography in her solo show ‘Time After Time’ to be held at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai.

P. JK: Tell us about yourself.

J.K: I am a visual artist and I have been making art since I was 2 years old (that’s what my mother tells me!). I draw, make paintings and also take photographs and make installations. I have studied BA (Hons.) in Drawing from Camberwell College, London. Previously I had shown my works in London and Nagpur and “Time after Time” is my first solo show in Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. I also work with an NGO that teaches people to live stress free and works with educating less privileged children.

P.JK: Which factors/elements play an important role in your photo shoot?

J.K: I draw inspiration and experience from everyday life.  My work is reflected by my own spiritual experiences and is translations of my observations from meditations as well as readings of Puranas and Vedic scriptures. My creation evolves from drawing and takes form of photos, paintings or installations. Experience is never unmediated and it is always influenced by what precedes and follows it, by memory and expectation, modes of sensory organization, culturally conditioned habits of mind and countless other factors that are both historically and socially produced. Experience in other words is multiple of meditation and infinitely variable. To experience something you have to be totally engaged into it. I believe in engaging the viewer into my works and giving them the space and time in imagination to make it their own.

P.JK: Why are you fascinated by old technology of photography?

J.K: It is the nostalgia of working with the analogue camera and it also carries a sense of fragility and anxiety. It is quite exciting actually and the result is unknown and not immediate like the digital ones. In a strange way, the sense of control is more in certain areas and less in the other. As the image emerges on the paper it is quite magical and reminds me of the child like experiences we have of awe and wonder and magic.

P.JK: Do you use computer graphics to modify your images?

J.K: I avoid doing that, but sometimes to salvage the image I have to do it. Also when a particular project requires, I use my digital camera and computer graphics to work on them.

P.JK: Why do you make it look like painting?

J.K: I am fascinated by the act of painting and the entire process of creating the image in this manner, and so some of my photographs have the painterly effect. Sometimes I photograph my paintings and use them for double exposures.

P.JK: Which is the most coveted emotion that you like to capture?

J.K: I would like to capture bliss but it seems a farfetched idea, so I work towards capturing movement, stillness and a sense of tipping point. Emotions are difficult to explain, especially when they arise after deep spiritual experiences of meditations, I have worked towards depicting them with a little reference from the Puranas and other Vedic scriptures.

P.JK: Like every photographer do you also intend to explore motion?

J.K: I have explored it in the past and its quite exciting and endearing process. But as it requires specialized skills and an efficient team I have postponed the plans of making short films for near future. As of now I want to show movement in photography, i.e. movement via stillness.

P.JK: What is the difference between black and white image and colorful one?

J.K: Both have their unique qualities and I feel it’s unfair to compare them.

P.JK: What do you do for your professional growth and perfection in photography?

J.K: Photography has such a large range of techniques and tools, that to master all is very difficult. I make a point to learn new techniques, polish old techniques and practice what I know everyday. I dedicate a specific period of time everyday to develop my work and am very focused and disciplined about it. As of now I am working with a medium range camera and would like to buy a better one as soon as possible to get sharper images and more clarity. I also work with old analog cameras like Pentex K1000 and the images from this require an entire different way of processing. By observing other photographers’ works and studying their techniques and ways of working I develop my own ideas and it is a part of my routine. Some of my favorite photographers are Raghu Rai, Andrede Freitas, Christoffer Relander and Sara Bryne. For me my concepts are also very important, they always carry either a social cause or a personal spiritual aspect, which I work very hard to really understand experience and translate it into my work. I believe that perfecting the being brings perfection in every other aspect of my life.

P.JK: You are also associated with teaching field, how do you relate photography to it, besides just giving charity from the sale of photographs?

J.K: Photograph is a very powerful tool of expression and it brings attention and awareness towards whatever is photographed. A good photo can give the viewer a moving experience and hence bring attention to the cause in hand. I try to provide visuals as means of education to imbibe deeper impact on mind. Try to impart knowledge to under privileged children with perseverance and dedication.      

 - By Pankaja JK

Enjoy and rejuvenate your soul by attending this show to be held on 14^th October till 20^th October at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. 

More details contact: juhi.kulkarni@gmail.com 

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