Feeling Fatal

The year 2015 started with amazing photographs at the Chobimela VIII. The event began on January 23rd and ended on February 5th. Talented photographers from all over the country displayed the best of their works. This year, the theme for Chobimela, the most anticipated photo event in Asia, was 'Intimacy.'

Tushikur Rahman's interpretation of 'Intimacy' was titled 'Fatalistic Tendencies.' A Bangladeshi documentary photographer who prioritises working on social issues, both in urban and rural areas, his theme was influenced by his own experiences in life. “Fatalistic Tendencies is about my mental state during a particular period of my life. It's a visual diary of my past,” says Tushikur. “Everyday we read about suicide in newspapers. We read it and forget about it before moving on to another news item. Few think of what the person might have gone through before committing suicide. Like many others I too went through such a period at an early age.”

Tushikur first started taking photographs, when he was a student at Oxford International School. “My father bought me an SLR camera, and that is when I got interested in the art of photography,” he says. In 2009, Tushikur joined Pathshala South-Asian Media Institute for a BA in photography. “Initially, I was interested in fashion photography, but as time went on, my focus shifted to a more long-term project and I became a documentary photographer,” shares Tushikur.

Since then, Tushikur participated in various international workshops conducted by renowned teachers and practitioners including Stuart Freedman, Jorge Villacorta, Shannon Lee Castleman, Abir Abdullah and Munem Wasif. In 2010, his project 'Fatalistic Tendencies' which was later chosen for Chobimela VIII was complete. This particular project of his was also exhibited in Oxford Photography Festival in 2014. His biggest inspiration during his journey as a photographer has been William Eggleston, an American photographer.