To me, this image doesn't reflect poverty, it reflects dignity. When I came across this woman, she had a shyness about her, it almost verged on being aloof. Any of this could've been interpreted as being embarrassed towards me, but that wasn't it in my observation. She was strong, and beautiful, and she held her space, because it was hers, this was her home. This is where she was raising her children. We can attach judgement or condemnation, but what I saw was love. It was unstripped of all that bullshit was attach to "things" and status and accomplishment. This isn't to say that she wouldn't have wished for something more, because if I was a betting person, I'd wager on the side that she would want something different. With that being said, she held her space. I fell hard for India. I was humbled more times than I can count and came away with the idea that many of us have attached our identity to attributes that just might be illusory. To me this isn't an image that exploits poverty, this one honors the strength of moving forward day after day and keeping the cosmic dance of this human existence in perspective.
Along the side of Hardinge Road, there are countless people who sleep along the sidewalk under makeshift structures. This child is one of those that call this area home.
There are hundreds of people living on the sidewalk on Hardinge Road. As early as 6am everyone has cleaned up their encampment and begun preparing for the day. This man was walking in the middle of the street and two other pedestrians use their hands in gesture to mock the elder man.
Throughout India there are little micro taxi scooters called Tuk Tuk's, these critical means of transportation are the fabric of daily Indian life and allow millions to move about any city within the country.
The city has many variants from common western luxuries. This man operates as a local FedEx, delivering goods to businesses throughout the city.
Throughout the city of Kolkata there are street-side barbershops. Barbers utilize vacant space on the sidewalks wherever possible to recruit clientele whenever possible.
In dark hallways of Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat in Mumbai, men sit in the dark shadows and discuss politics.
In dark hallways of Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat in Mumbai, men sit in the dark shadows and discuss politics.
A man working in one of the sections at Dhobi Ghat.
Woman walking through the recycling district in the slums of Mumbai.
Exploring dark alleys has always been one of my things. It's a way of discovering moments that would otherwise go unnoticed, because the unknown has always provided great things for me. Walking through the narrow passageways in Dharavi there are sections, and then levels within those sections, and each of those shops, and the people that work there focus on a particular industry; metal recycling, fabric recycling, garment production, the list goes on almost indefinitely. In one of these darker walkways deep in the slum, I came across this boy leaning his head on his hand, watching people pass and talking with friends.
In Dharavi people work hard, in many instances it's a matter of survival. You see, we can all misinterpret the world around us. Usually we fit a narrative that might align more to stereotype than truth. What we see are two men sleeping alongside the edge of a pathway. This is India, and seeing poverty and misfortune is as common as breathing. But the reality is that most people work incredibly hard for their livelihoods in this country. They shoulder unbearable burdens that vacillate between the caste that they were born into, the circumstances they live in and then juggling how to stay alive during the process. What is seen here is not what it might appear. This is the image of two men, exhausted from working countless hours, stopping for the briefest moment to rest their weary bodies before the cycle begins again. I love these men. They embody power, they exemplify pushing through the struggle. They know nothing more than just keep moving forward.
Walking down the alley inside the slums of Mumbai, I was called up two very step flights of stairs by a young man. As you climb the stairway that simulates more of a ladder, you peak through a small opening into a larger room of people sewing. The story behind this image is far more powerful than the image itself. As I was walking through the Dharavi slums in Mumbai, I found myself being greeted with such warmth and acceptance which totally caught me off guard. At one point, in this narrow passage, this young man, about 20 years old walks up to me and gestures to follow him. I had no idea where he was wanting to take me. I looked around and everyone in the area made the hand gesture to "go ahead", as with palm down flicking the hand forward. So, recognizing that trusting the moment was needed before falling victim to fear of the unknown, I began to walk behind this guy and he lead me to a series of ladders that led straight up this 3 story building. The portals to climb through to the next level were so tight that I had to squeeze through and tuck my small camera pouch underneath my arm to get through. We proceeded for 3 flights, straight up into some unknown area with the last portal going into the underside of a floor. It was at this point that I realized I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was being led up into this dark, enclosed space but this guy just kept smiling and encouraging me to continue. Once I popped through the whole in the floor I was greeted by eyes that were first shocked to see me in their space, but really it was more of a look of confusion, why would I be there? Then, just as soon as I arrived they opened up to me almost in an instant. They showed me around with a pride that caught me off guard. What your looking at in this image is what we would define as a "sweat-shop". They were illuminated that I came to visit with them. It caused me to take a moment and really think about how we perceive situations from afar, because without knowing the specifics or understanding the realities it's easy to judge and criticize. I'm not saying that I condone slave labor in any way whatsoever, I am saying that these young men had a pride about their work that left me questioning many things that I previously took for granted about conditions like this.
When you find some sense of peace with the life you are living, however it has been given to you, your inner truth radiates outward. In the cycle of life and death, there are gaps in between that most are unaware of. We constantly live in the past or looking forward to the future, but seldom living in the moment. We operate in a world where the outside has more "value" than what's within, where appearance is more important that substance, more coveted than character. I have found that those with the least, more often than not, have the most spiritual wealth. They recognize that although the circumstances of which they were born into are fixed, they do have some degree of control over their future. They also understand it is part of the cycle of living. It's not to say there's a resignation, on the contrary, it's more of an acceptance, and with that acceptance comes a form of liberation to live with purpose and honor and dignity in the now. In the slums of Mumbai, working day in and day out, keeping an elevated spirit, striving to practice a life within balance, this young man embodies those beautiful traits.
Within the section
Both of these men are guides within Dhobi Ghat. The man on the right violently argues with the man of the left about stealing customers.
Within the depths and darkness in the corridors of Dhobi Ghat, a scene unfolds that could've taken place 75 years ago. Here a worker presses jeans with a hot coal iron.
Along the streets there are numerous vendors who jostle for your business. This man, with his magnetic eyes, he lurred people into his space as they walked on the sidewalk.
Many people are capable of holding a gaze, sometimes theri eyes move beyond the immediacy of the moment and delve deeper into the viewer. This woman possessed that capability.
This man was selling snacks along Juju Beach. His style was fantastic, he carried himself more like a pop star than a convenience store clerk.
These two girls were no more than 16 years old. The girl on the left was possibly 6 months pregnant and were strolling on the shore of Juju Beach.
Juju beach is a popular destination for tourist and locals alike. The beach itself is wide and relatively clean. Many people either run, or take walks along the surf to pass the time. For thoe that walk, it almost seems that there is no detination in mind, just a slow meander along the waters edge. These two friends walked hand in hand, they showed an intimacy that is rarely seen in western men.
The underpinnings of India are so complex, that most Indians do not understand how everything works within their own country. They possess a type of fearlessness that cusps on having an unspoken understanding that life is nothing short of a cycle; birth, death and rebirth. The country now holds a population of 1.25 billion people. The ability for such condensed human experiences to move fluidly is something to witness. What can be witnessed among this interconnected web of life is a deep sense of trust. Although the are social patterns that are constantly being upheld and religious cycles are ever spinning their orbit, all of these give one context for their role in the drama. There are so many dimensions to this ancient history that one could spend their entire life just observing, and only then could they scratch the surface and comprehend the dynamic placed called India.
