Details
About the Book:
"All that is great about a country and all that is wrong with it can be summarised by a single wedding," says Indian photographer Mahesh Shantaram. In his documentary work, he mostly studies the complex societal system of his home country. Working as a wedding photographer, he had privileged access to a cross-section of celebrations of the Indian upper- and middle-class society. Young adults assume the role of princes and princesses in a Bollywood-like fantasy often choreographed by their parents. On the periphery, a multitude of workers entertain crowds, cater to thousands of guests, and keep the show going on for days. Using images culled from over 150 weddings and created in the course of six years, the photo series Matrimania constructs a fictional narrative--an alternative wedding album--that depicts one long wedding night in India. Matrimania is a personal take on 21st century India's contradictions seen through the prism of its wedding culture.
About the Photographer:
Mahesh Shantaram (1977-) was born in Bangalore, India, where he currently lives. He grew up in Kuwait, graduated in computer electronics in Bangalore, worked in Mumbai and Washington DC, and studied photography in Paris before embarking on a career in photography in 2006. Using a personal and subjective approach in his documentary photography practice, Shantaram's work provides insight into contemporary Indian society and culture. His first book 'Matrimania' was published by Hatje Cantz (Berlin) in 2018. His second and upcoming book to be published by the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts (New Delhi) in 2019 deals with the subject of racism in India seen through the Indo-African relationship. Shantaram has been a member photographer of the Paris-based Agence VU since 2017.
Book Specifications:
Title: Matrimania
ISBN-10: 377574519X
ISBN-13: 978-3775745192
Publisher: Hatje Cantz (February 19, 2019)
Photographer: Mahesh Shantaram
Language: English
Dimensions: 9.2 x 0.8 x 11.2 inches
Price: 225 AED
Cover: Clothbound
Pages: 112 pages