Faces of contemporary Goa

Titled The Road to Salvador do Mundo, Sikka’s lens captures a very modern Goa walking a well-hidden path. Translated into plain English, ‘Salvador do Mundo’ means the saviors of the world and this happens with the name of the small town in Goa that adorns Sikka’s canvas.

The name of the show is intriguing enough to wake you up to the solo show currently on display at Nature Morte. From the moment you enter the gallery, Sikka instantly transports you into the labyrinthine world captured on camera by her.

Generally known for his high-concept urban renderings, Sikka’s tryst with a world in the middle of nowhere is sure to leave you in awe. From someone like Sikka one would expect, for better or worse, images that evoke more than they suggest. If his urban landscapes are testimony to his keen eye and his agile framing, Camino a Salvador do Mundo presents faces and places that are not quickly forgotten.

Sikka deftly places people at the heart of the stage. This surprising confluence of people and surroundings with which they are perhaps all too well acquainted walks a fine line.

The images look comfortably familiar and yet startlingly new. The relationship between the two seems to be a recurring theme throughout the photos and speaks volumes to the viewer.

Sikka presents portraits, still lifes, interiors through highly reflective moods and images. She never takes center stage on the lush exotic landscape and the world we see stumbles upon a carefully unearthed lost poem.

Sikka’s vision is simple and complex at the same time. This is best seen in the two juxtaposed images: one has a man whose face is hidden by the unrelenting sunlight, and the other is illuminated by a group of light bulbs.

The images range from very lyrical (the woman in a burgundy dress sitting astride a swing) to very surreal (the back of a girl holding a beaten toy). There is a history of these images that speak more than a million words.

Voted one of the most influential photographers by Flash Art whose work is commonplace in the pages of Vogue, Sikka lets go of the highly sought after fashion photographer here to show a very personal side while representing a unique community in a very multifaceted way.