A Glimpse into His World

A first glance at Fahad Al Alam will remind one of a line from The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, because like Estha, he “occupies very little space in the world.” The catch is, no matter which little space he is occupying, you can rest assured the space is beautiful- where the moon glows a little brighter, the grass is a little greener and the memories of yesteryear, both monochromatic and in colour, are floating around. Fahad's own little space, his world is quite an experience, an opportunity really- which Leela, an art gallery, performance space and library, has made possible for us commoners to explore.

'A Piece of Whisper', an exhibition of analogue photos by Fahad Al Alam, is much more than just an exhibition. Cartoonist Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy aptly stated, “In photo exhibitions, you expect to just see photos. The words of Fahad's poetry wonderfully placed underneath the photographs also add to the whole feeling- it's a completely different experience.”

The collection portrays the past two years of Fahad's life and his constant journey to home (Naogaon) and away (Dhaka). The contrast between the concrete and clay, the natural and urbanised is what he shows through his images.

The exhibition began on the 16th of this month with much anticipation and zeal, and will continue on till the 29th of April. There was music to sway to- clarinet and guitar, mesmerising poetry recitation both Bangla and English, along with Fahad's delicate words and striking images. “What I enjoyed about the photos were the sizes- comparatively small, which created an intimacy between the image and the viewer. The closer I got to the image, the more I understood the artist,” says Alia Kamal, painter.

“I never had the dream of becoming a professional photographer. It was something I merely stumbled across. I was studying BBA, and I hated it,” giggles the shy and quiet-in-nature Fahad. In the newspaper, Fahad saw that Dhaka University's Photographic Society (DUPS) offered a course for basic photography. “I called my friend, Taef (Sheikh Mehedi Morshed), and asked him to sign up with me. And then we began our journeys with cameras together…” Fahad remembers. He then went back to his hometown, Naogao, where his family and fondest memories still reside, to announce that he was going to leave BBA and pursue Media Studies and Journalism in the University of Liberal Arts. Once Fahad bought his own camera, they were inseparable and he has been carrying it, along with many others he bought along the years, ever since.

Fahad Al Alam, Photos: courtesy

While Fahad enjoyed all kinds of photography, he was more inclined towards street photography. “That was until I came across film photography, with which I like taking photos of anything that I feel are worth recording in my memory. There is something about analogue photographs that feels raw and timeless, especially the black and white ones. That was how I saw the world- in its rawest beauty. So I then decided that I want that imagery to reflect in my work.”  His friend, Sucheta Shegufta, who used to use a film camera herself, lent him hers. “I didn't know anything about it though. So, because I didn't get much support before, I decided to teach myself. I watched youtube videos for days and nights to learn all about analogue photography. There were some individuals who helped me a lot. I want to thank them all.” After a long trial and error process, Fahad finally mastered the art. He also learned the process of developing film on his own, using alternates to chemicals and other equipment, and has made his own lab out of his bathroom. “I still develop my own photos there.” Fahad also experiments with his photography, where he adds a burnt effect with the use of sunlight or fire during the process of developing. His images are what one would call 'hauntingly beautiful.' There is antiqueness to them, with a touch of mystery.

Along with photography, Fahad likes recording sounds of nature, and also writes poetry. “I write when I feel like there is something I can't express in my photos. I show my own world to people through my images, and while there are bits and pieces of my world here in the real world, there are bits that aren't. Those bits- I write down in poetry.” With his words and images, 'A Piece of Whisper' is truly a glimpse into Fahad's own mind, his own world; in their most naked selves.

He has been a part of many competitions including the Invisible Photographer Asia in 2013, when he was a second finalist. Along with that, he has also taken part in many exhibitions before his solo one, with the inclusion of LL5 curated by Shehzad Chowdhury, curator and co-founder of Leela. “We were friends on Facebook from before. But then one day we bumped into each other outside Bengal Gallery and he asked me to send me a portfolio, after which I participated in LL5. I want to express my heartiest gratitude to Shehzad bhai for not only believing in me and my work, but standing by my side throughout this entire exhibition.”

What the future holds, Fahad knows not. “I don't believe in making future plans. To me, what happens today, dictates tomorrow. What I do believe is that every single person has their own world. There are as many worlds on this planet alone as there are people. If each person would spend their time showing others the beauty of their own world instead of wondering what exists in another's, life would become much easier and more beautiful for us. We must make our own world as beautiful as we want it to be, and we must do it in our own unique ways no matter what the barriers,” he finishes off with his signature shy smile.