NGMA to present retrospective of Homai Vyarawalla's photographs

Homai Vyarawalla

The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in the capital will present a retrospective of photographs by Homai Vyarawalla, the country's first woman press photographer from August 27 to October 31.

A press release from NGMA said the exhibition has been curated by Ms Vyarawalla's biographer, Sabeena Gadihoke, who is an Associate Professor at the A J K Mass Communication Research Centre at Jamia Millia Islamia.

The exhibition will showcase approximately 150-200 images, including original silver gelatine prints, many printed by the photographer herself. On display would be her old cameras, photographic equipment and other memorabilia. An eye witness to almost an entire century, and recently honored by the nation with the 'life-time achievement award', Homai Vyarawalla, now 97, was born in 1913 to a middle-class Parsi family of Navsari, Gujarat.

She grew up in Bombay where she was the only girl in her class to complete her matriculation examination. Later she moved to Delhi in 1947, after learning photography from her partner Maneckshaw. Her photography career started with the last days of the British Empire and the early days of the new born nation. Some of the key events Homai photographed were the first flag-hoisting ceremony at Red Fort on August 16 1947, the departure of Lord Mountbatten from India and the funerals of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Homai Vyarawalla: A Retrospective

According to the release, the exhibition acknowledges Ms Vyarawalla's role as a pioneer among women and her contribution to early photojournalism in India.

"The great value of her work lies in photographs that archive the nation in its infancy documenting both the euphoria of independence as well as disappointment with its undelivered promises. Her images with their strong composition and rich tones are a testimony to her skills as a master photographer," the release added.

NNN