SUPRANAV DASH’S PORTRAITS REFLECTS THE RESILLIENCE OF INDIA’S LGBTQI+ COMMUNITY
DENIZ AKKAYA
Based between Kolkata and New York, Supranav Dash is a photographer who explores the identities and experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals living in India…
Eros And Its Discontents explores the lives and desires of individuals from the LGBTQI+ community living in India. These photos see struggles of identity, hopes and dreams, pleasure, pains and rejections. The people in my images are treading a psychological minefield. Working with these people I find so much solace in the written works of Plato, Freud and Jung. These fields are crisscrossed with complexities that arise out of a religious, conservative, and homophobic Indian culture that is quick to marginalize and discriminate. The photographs of this body of work are witness to this subjugated community; they document the crest and trough of these lives.
“Eros And Its Discontents explores the lives and desires of individuals in India’s LGBTQIA+ community. These photos see struggles of identity, hopes and dreams, pleasure, pain, and rejection. The people in my images are treading a psychological minefield, and while undertaking this project, I’ve found much solace in the written works of Plato, Freud, and Jung. These fields are crisscrossed with complexities that arise out of a religious, conservative, and homophobic Indian culture that is quick to marginalize and discriminate. The project is witness to this subjugated community; they document the crest and trough of these lives… My intention with ‘Eros And Its Discontents’ is to portray the stories of struggles of my close circle and friends alike, celebrating their lives and subverting societal challenges through visibility, inclusivity, and empowerment.” Says Dash in an interview about his Project.
