I photographed this series between 2006 and 2008 in Sri Lanka. It covered many parts of the the island except for the North and the East provinces. Most of the contacts came through friends and family. Intimate Space or 13/23 features the space of youth. It is a world of contradictions and expectations. This is a time of hoarding like no other; of joy, innocence, courage and vulnerability that is a very particular realm of the young. It is a fascinating time of anyone’s life. So was...
more »I photographed this series between 2006 and 2008 in Sri Lanka. It covered many parts of the the island except for the North and the East provinces. Most of the contacts came through friends and family. Intimate Space or 13/23 features the space of youth. It is a world of contradictions and expectations. This is a time of hoarding like no other; of joy, innocence, courage and vulnerability that is a very particular realm of the young. It is a fascinating time of anyone’s life. So was mine. But similar to many of my generation, my youth passed witnessing and experiencing the turmoil in the country due to the prevailing political situation during the late 80s and early 90s. This may have been one reason why I was attracted to this series.
The divisions of Sri Lankan society along social, cultural, economic and ethnic lines have become more evident during the past few decades. The socio-economic changes and escalating ethnic conflict, which are inherent to this period, have no parallel in recent Sri Lankan history.
My attempt has been to capture the presence and preferences of youth in their own dwellings. It is in a way presence in absence as well. For some, this is a well-furnished room while for others it is a corner of the single room that passes for a home for the whole family. For still some others, it is the quiet tranquility of a monastery or the confines of a juvenile prison. Little could be revealed through a photograph about the young man or woman who inhabits the space. It is an eye witness account and however, it can only build some sort of a metaphor but never a complete story.
This series was exhibited at the Singapore International Photography Festival 2009. South Asia Journal for Culture published this work in 2008.
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