Visual Parsis

"There is so much visual art of the Parsis that needs to be made visible,” states anthropology student-curator Sarica Robyn Balsari about the exhibition "Hearts on Fire — Reflections on Parsi photography: past, present and future” at Gallery Chemould Colaba (formerly Chemould / SHIFT).

Images from the exhibition at Gallery Chemould Colaba: "exploring diverse representations"

Headshots of actor Jim Sarbh; photographs and memorabilia from documentary filmmaker Divya Cowasji’s home; previously seen works of established photographers Sooni Taraporevala, Porus Vimadalal and Shantanu Das; videos of musician Yohann Marshall; works of calligraphist Perin Pudumjee Coyaji; panels on Instagramers Shreyas Pardiwalla and Zervaan Bunshah — all rub shoulders with each other at the group show.
"The exhibition is about being playful…I wanted to juxtapose established photographers with younger images… I wanted to depict generational differences… Photos accrue different meaning over time,” Balsari told Parsiana on September 22, 2022. As part of her research for her doctorate in anthropology at University College, London, Balsari said that while conducting ethnographic interviews, she realized the diversity.
"Take Coyaji’s work… she believes the ancient Zoroastrian scripts speak to us about communication between the past and the present and the future,” elucidated Balsari. "There was a certain continuity in displaying Iyanah Bativala’s agiary photos next to the afarganiyu shaped candles of designer Farzin Adenwalla,” she pointed out. On the inclusion of new age visual artists Bunshah, Pardiwalla and Marshall, Balsari commented that "young Parsis today are discovering avenues to reinvent themselves via… imagery on social media, such as memes and reels that critically traverse social, linguistic and geographical borders.”
The artists’ works "explore the diverse ways in which the Parsi community has been visually represented and place specific emphasis on contemporary images,” states the curator’s note.
Other artists represented in the show include Aaran Patel, Avinash Jai Singh, Bindi Sheth, Hemant Chaturvedi, Jyoti Bhatt and Sunhil Sippy. The exhibition is on until October 15.