Rising Star – Salamat Hussain – April 2014

SALAMAT HUSSAIN, M.F. Hussain’s grandson, has followed his famous grandfather’s footsteps into the world of visual art. His instrument, however, is not a paintbrush but a camera. Youth Inc catches up with him

What inspired you to take up photography?
My first camera which my father gifted during my university years. No film, it was a digital Canon camera.

What do you look for when you take a picture? What kind of stories do you wish to convey?
In my frame, I look for abstraction, colours, lines, shadows, textures, faces, composition of industrial, architectural structures with a hint of simplicity. Stories of emotions.

Has your late grandfather influenced your work?
Yes, he definitely has.

What is the climate like in India for young, amateur photographers?
There is always a new emerging photographer round the block.

What is your next project?
My next project is an ongoing book that I have been working on of East Africa.

Tell us about your latest exhibition ‘25 kilos’.
Brainstorming on titles for the show, I was asked, “How do you travel? And what do you carry?” to which I replied, “My camera bag and another bag with my necessities.” When asked if it was heavy or light, that’s when I said, 25 kilos is what my camera bag weighs when I travel, and hence formed the title of the show.

Volume 3 Issue 10