Flowers for my mother

Naturalist and photographer Bibhas Amonkar's love for nature and the bond shared with his mother, Hindustani Classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar come together at Flowers -- A Photo Dialogue, an ode to the legend, on her birthday

As a young boy Bibhas Amonkar roamed his native village of Kurdi in Goa with his mother, legendary vocalist Kishori Amonkar. On these trips, she would point out a blooming flower or a beautiful tree. It left an impression on him. Today, on her birthday, as a gesture of his gratitude, Bibhas has dedicated the exhibition, Floweru00a0-- A Photo Dialogue to showcase his love for nature, kindled all those years ago by his mother.

Bibhas with mother Kishori Amonkar

After several trips to the Valley of Flowers in the Himalayas, Bibhas collected a fantastic collection of photographs, and 100 of the best will go on display. "My first encounter with the camera was when I was 10. I realised I enjoyed photography," recalls Bibhas, who pursued a degree in Photography from the JJ School of Arts. After his graduation he captured nature with dedication. "My mother is very fond of nature and always points out interesting aspects on our travels. Naturally, she's influenced me. She's also been very supportive. I would get a pat on my back whenever I showed her my work," he adds.

Science and the lens
As he began capturing the flora and fauna across India, he realised that while there was plenty of written content about the wild, pictorial data was sparseu00a0-- "So, I made it my life's mission to document pictorially as much of the flora and fauna as possible," he adds. But considering he did not possess a background in science, he found it difficult to document his findings. He met with experts and began collecting scientific information about flowers and trees.

Panorama of the Valley of Flowers
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"I hope my photographs will help those who wish to study about the wild and its importance. I have captured a few flowers from behind, because the calyx of the flower is important. Artistically, these might not be great photographs, but they are useful scientifically," he explains.

u00a0In his pursuit to explore the wild, he reached the Himalayas, only to stumble upon the mesmeric beauty of the Valley of Flowers. Bibhas has made at least eight trips and admits he can't get enough of it. "It has a different hue on every visit. I hiked great distances to shoot some of the flowers," he shares. In fact, to reach any height without difficulty, he learnt mountaineering as well.

Bibhas is currently working on a book on the trees in Mumbai and has plans to document his other works toou00a0-- "If I can photograph even 10% of the biodiversity, I will be a happy man."
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At Exhibition Hall, first floor,
PL Deshpande Maharshtra Kala Academy (Ravindra Natya Mandir), Sayani Road, Prabhadevi.
On April 10, 4 pm to 7 pm; April 11 to 15, 11 am to 7 pm
Call 9820052739