Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan /Bangladesh
Life In The Cage - Artist Statement
"Life in the Cage" is a visual personal project, self-observation, about my family and me. I've documented this project in the year 2020 and 2021, during the lockdown in the COVID-19 pandemic days. It documents the interactions of various aspects of our daily lives during these ongoing pandemic days in our home in the coastal city of Chittagong, Bangladesh. I have spent my entire career as a photojournalist documenting the struggles of others, now, for the first time; I stood in front of my family and me. I struggled to focus my lens on my own story, embracing the power of photography as a motivation to survive. This new experience felt awkward and at times uncomfortable. My photographs show slivers of our daily life, hope, disappointments, expectations, loneliness, frustration and fears. Our joys overshadow the uncertainties we face. I was able to observe my family closely, and I've discovered my weaknesses deeply. While struggling to capture this moment in history, I dreamed of a downpour in the desert. I felt as though I was drowning and tried to stay alive through our story.
During the lockdown (2020), our children became
ill with fever, coughing, shortness of breath linked to allergies. We tried
home remedies. In fact; my wife and I really had no choice. Our regular
familiar family doctor has been absent from his clinic for over two months. It
was terrible, because of unavailable health treatment in Bangladesh. Patients
aren't getting treatment, even those who aren't corona patients are dying
without treatment because of panic in hospitals and doctors and lack of empty
seats. On the other hand; my two younger brothers and I lived together as a
joint family, but during the Corona pandemic, for the first time; we became
separated (2020). In 2021; during the shutdown (hard-lockdown), the bone in my
right leg was broken. In the meantime; I was infected with coronavirus. At the
same time; another member of my family (my wife's aunt, who is with us as a
guardian in the absence of my late parents) was Infected by me. We can only
guess what is happening inside the families of the people around us, visual
observation is not possible. So I picked up my camera, where I tried to
understand and disclose the reality.
Curator's Statement:
"Life in a Cage" by Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan is though poignant, yet a poetic portraiture of himself and his family at their home during the COVID19 lockdown in Chittagong, Bangladesh.
The series of stark and visually emotive black
and white images, candid and sometimes controlled, gives the viewer an insight
into their personal struggle to triumph over the uncertainties as the pandemic
creates havoc and an imbalance to all normal lives around the planet.
Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan
Son of a
freedom fighter; born in 1984, lives in Chittagong. Mohammad Shahnewaz
Khan" is a Humanist Documentary Photographer, Curator, Educator, social
activist, works as a freelance photojournalist. He is the Founder Director of
the VOHH Photography Institute, VOHH Foundation and the VOHH FOTO FEST. Khan
has won more than 200 international awards in the field of photojournalism and
Documentary photography; his photo series have been featured over 300
International journals, in print media and TV shows worldwide and has been
exhibited around 80 countries; his long term projects have also been the
subject of teaching, lectures and research in many Universities and
Organizations in the US and Europe. After passed 'Higher Secondary School
Certificate' in Science, he successfully Completed "Diploma In
Photography", "Professional degree course" and also completed
dozen of International Mentorship and Masterclass in the field of
photojournalism and documentary photography, including; more than 200
workshops. He has been working as a freelance photojournalist since 2004 and
freelancer for the "Washington Post" since 2018 and his name included
in the talent network of 'Washington Post'. His International assignments
experiences with the leading international editors, curators, news agencies and
organizations in the world. like; 'Washington Post', 'CNN', 'Al Jazeera',
'Sputnik News', 'Alexia Foundation', 'Sunday Times', 'Publico', 'FotoEvidence
Press', 'Eyes Open Magazine', 'Al Mayadeen TV', 'World Bank-IFC' and many National-International
NGOs and Magazines. He is currently a professional Teacher at VOHH Photography
Institute. He regularly teaches photography in Bangladesh and abroad. Having
dreamed in his youth of becoming a writer, photography instead managed to became
his muse and mode of expression.