8.16.2011

MANJARI SHARMA: Darshan | Photo Series KickStarter Project

Maa Laxmi, Hindu Goddess of Wealth and Fortune
Photograph (c) Manjari Sharma

PLAY KICKSTARTER VIDEO

"Darshan is a Sanskrit word that means 'sight,' 'view' or 'vision'. My project Darshan aims to photographically recreate 9 classical images of Gods and Goddesses pivotal to mythological stories in Hinduism.

What is innovative about Darshan is that I am recreating these icons as photographs while maintaining their spiritual sanctity. Historically considered a mechanical device to keep record, photography didn't even start to find a place in galleries until the 20th century. It's no surprise then that paintings and sculptures of Hindu deities were the dominant way to experience Indian mythology. Despite my extensive exposure to Hindu temples and artifacts, I have never seen a photograph of a deity created from scratch."

Darshan is my attempt to show that photos too can evoke a strong spiritual response. At a larger level Darshan is a cultural calling for me to preserve my heritage by using the medium of photography. Your money will go to the great cause of preserving this valuable Indian tradition and also towards a story being retold in a revolutionary way." – Manjari Sharma


Photographer Manjari Sharma, raised in Mumbai, India, now New York based, is represented by the Richard Levy Gallery in Albuquerque, NM and Paul Kopeikin in Los Angeles. More about Manjari Sharma on this PhotoBlog.

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