Diya Sarker

I was born in a little Rajasthani town called Kota, in India. My dad’s military postings kept us constantly on the move. It made me love and hate traveling. My dad is an artist and a soldier. He documents his life with sketches and pictures, something that inspired me in many ways. I have studied in many schools all over India, but Kolkata is where I have lived the longest. I studied commerce at Calcutta University, and began hating it. My love for photography and art grew stronger, I attended workshops, went for almost every art film festival, started taking pictures, started experimenting , started painting more, started observing life around me more carefully, and Kolkata is the best place in India when it comes to anything related to art. I am a self-taught graphic designer and wish to pursue a life in graphics and photography. I am and will be a student forever.

Eyewalls raps with Diya:

Eyewalls: Where are you currently living and what interests you lately?

Diya: I moved to this crazy city of Mumbai (also known as the Bollywood capital) on the 27th of September in 2007. I left home and family all of a sudden and flew here. My artistic interests are unlimited, there is so much I want to do, so many things I want to learn and so much I have yet to discover. When I moved here all I carried with me in my suitcase was a pillow, some clothing, CDs, a blanket, my portfolio and my camera. So now I am starting fresh.

Eyewalls: Indian culture is so rich in artistic expression; it seems everything from architecture to dress displays vivid color and design. Growing up in India, what was your impression of the environment you lived within? Did you recognize the art surrounding you at an early age?

Diya: My dad is an officer in the Indian army, we never lived in one city or town for more than two years. And just like other army officer’s families, our family has been traveling all over India, north, south, west and east. And wherever we would move we would live in the Indian army cantonments. From the biggest cities to the tiniest towns in the most deserted parts of the country, I have lived there. I look at my country very differently. In the cantonments all of us came from different parts of the country, with different languages and traditions. My country is very confusing and its not possible to understand her completely.

When I would leave the cantonment I would feel very disconnected with the civilian crowd, because my lifestyle was so different from theirs. But moving to a new city was a very exciting thing for me, a different place, a different environment, new people.

So no, I don’t think I recognized the art surrounding me that early. I knew one thing, that when it was time for us to pack our bags and move, there was exciting change waiting for us, something new, and that’s India.

Eyewalls: When did you begin shooting photography and what was it that drew you to this form of art?

Diya: Well it has to do with wanting to capture permanent visuals of your memories, so you can always look at them and remember, and smile. I used to love being photographed when I was a kid, my mom used to take loads of pictures of me and my brother and send them to my father, who would be stationed out most of the time. And my dad would take loads of pictures of all the places he would visit, he’s a really good photographer. I have been clicking pictures since I was in school, of my room, my house, the surroundings, because I knew in my head soon we will move and will never get to see it again. But when I went to college, I started gaining awareness, got inspired by random pictures and started taking photographs differently and obsessively. My friends would point at stuff and say “hey Diya click this, click that!” and i actually did.

Eyewalls: How would you define beauty? 

Diya: I would say anything that brings in a wonderful feeling — food, water, conversations, journeys, trains, people, pictures, hugs — not necessarily things that please the senses. I dunno, it sounds pseudo, but that’s ok I guess.

Eyewalls: Who are some of the artists and photographers whom you value?

Diya: Culture, music, graffiti, people, books, and the internet have unconsciously affected me. There are so many artists who inspire in so many ways, not necessarily famous artists, or well known and respected ones. I value everyone’s work, small, big or great.

Eyewalls: Have you seen Zana Briski’s documentary “Born into Brothels” that focused on the children of the red light district in Calcutta? I thought that film did an amazing job portraying the power of expression provided by cameras.  Was there a point in your life when you realized the empowerment of photography?

Diya: I hope deep inside Zana Briski made the film to question society’s treatment of such kids, and not to win awards. But yeah, the film has been very well made, and I feel a lot like the kids when I take pictures. Some of the kids in the film are so damn inspiring. Yes, we already do know the power of expression provided by cameras. One still image has so much meaning and so much to discover in it. One picture can explain everything. I did, as a kid seeing pictures of war. People hold on to pictures and stare long, like lovers do. And some people get shocked and don’t ever want to look. Some laugh and pass it around excitedly. I guess it’s not something you need to realize, you just do.

Eyewalls: You have shot a lot of photography in motion, particularly on trains as you’ve traveled around India. It seems that rather than trying to evade the challenges brought forth by shooting on the move, you have embraced them. What can you tell us about this perspective that you have captured on film?

Diya: I love traveling, especially by train. I never thought of taking shots of the experience until recently, maybe two or three years back. I think if you sat in an Indian train you would know. If you opened the doors you see the world as it is, but if you sat inside an ac compartment and looked through the dirty, badly tinted glass windows it looks very different, like an alien landscape. So to see what it actually looks like you’d have to step out, open the doors and it would suddenly hit you — what you saw inside was fake — this is what it actually looks like. But in general yes, I love capturing all the colours in motion in cabs, trains or buses. I think journeys are such a wonderful experience, if you have a camera just clickity click them.

Artist’s Statement for “Moving Earth” exhibit

Everything is in motion,
life is moving,
the earth is moving.

The senses do funny things to the mind,
which reacts in many ways.

Motion is very inspiring.

Sitting on an Indian train watching the world change before you,
the landscape,
the colour of the soil,
the people,
the vegetation,
and watching it all go by so fast.

I keep my eyes open to keep my mind stimulated -
I don’t want to miss anything
and try hard to catch this motion.

The windows inside are dirty and old
holding scars of journeys made before.
I’ve never captured it like this.

I would open the doors so I could see clearly.

But I’ve seen this a thousand times,
- I wanted to see it differently.

So I stay inside,
and look through the glass window
and I see a whole new world.
A whole new world in motion.