Old Dhaka, 2013
Born in Bangladesh in 1983, Munem Wasif started to be interested in photography during his childhood, thanks to his uncle – great traveler and amateur-photographer. After his studies at the Begart Institute – Bangladesh, he starts his career as a press photographer in his own country, before leaving for the Agency Vu in Paris in 2008.
His series Old Dhaka is dedicated to the historical part of the capital of Bangladesh. And shows above all places and people Munem Wasif knows: “Puran Dhaka or Old Dhaka has always surrounded me. This project has been an exercise for him, discovering and revealing the invisible things of daily life.”
Without sordid realism and naivety, his black and white pictures show timeless places where religious thoughts and traditions in domestic and daily activities are threatened to disappear. They also show the effervescent alleys of the Old Dacca and witness the paradox of Munem Wasif’s relation to the city: “I sometimes hate this neighborhood but on the other hand, I like it so much (…) it produces such a profound human warmth.”
FESTIVAL
Photo Phnom Penh 2013
November 30 – December 31, 2013
http://www.institutfrancais-cambodge.com
