Dubai: As many as 21 less well known tribes of India will be introduced to the UAE this weekend, thanks to an exhibition of rare photographs from their communities.
Nisha Pururshothaman, co-founder of Paws Trails Explorers, a global platform for photographers which is organising the event, said the pictures have been taken by renowned instinctive photographer Hari Menon.
The event titled Invisibles will be held at the Gallery of Light at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre (Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, from May 10 to 13.
Purushothaman said, “The idea behind the exhbition is to put the spotlight on veiled civilisations with ethnicities and traditions of their own. They thrive in our midst but have remained clandestine. With enigmatic rituals and sacraments revolving round the pivotal elements of Earth, Fire, Water and Air, they are distinct and leave the onlooker mesmerised.”
Unscathed
As many as 30 images will be displayed at the exhibition. Purushothaman said the significance of Invisibles was that it served as an archive on the rare tribal clans of India.
Few in number, they boast an archetype existential system encompassing their own doctrines in livelihood, regimes and conventions, but have withstood the vagaries of time, dwelling as a parallel to mainstream society. “Unscathed by the tarnishes of the contemporary world, these communities inhabit the rustic terrain and peripheries of India. Enduring severe weather conditions below freezing to sweltering heat, they are an incredible cultural diaspora, spread across diverse topographies,” she said, adding the pictorial narrative is an attempt to unearth these concealed gems and unravel their mystic splendour.
