Indian artist Manu Reghurajan is exhibiting a selection of his photographs of nature in a show titled “Focus”. Reghurajan is a civil engineer who has been working in the construction sector in Dubai for more than two decades, but he is also a photography enthusiast and member of the Shutter Bugs Creative Forum. On Friday mornings, he goes out with the group to capture the myriad manifestations of nature with his camera. The artworks he is displaying include colourful images of bees, butterflies, wasps, beetles, ladybugs and other creatures that he spotted in parks and in the desert around the UAE.
“Connecting with nature through photography is the pep pill that drives me forward in life. My aesthetic sensibilities were clouded for long, probably due to the nature of my work and my busy schedule, but photography has opened my eyes to the boundless beauty of nature. I had never imagined that a world full of such diversity exists around me. Through macro photography, my world has transformed into a little ecosystem of beautiful creatures. Communicating with nature relieves my stress and fills me with energy. The awareness that I am not separate from nature has brought harmony and balance in my life,” Reghurajan says.
The artist has won several awards for his work, including recognition as Associate of Royal Photographic Society, the UK, in 2015 for his panel of 15 images, titled “Insects of UAE”, and the Excellence in Photography award from the International Federation of Photographic Art this year.
Jyoti Kalsi is an arts-enthusiast based in Dubai.
“Focus” will run at Cartoon Art Gallery, Al Quoz, until December 12.
