TITLE: Hush

This series gives a visual expression to an ideal in the context of a cultural paradox: our reverence for nature that we, nevertheless, exploit unceasingly.
I spend a lot of time in unspoilt places in Africa where animals have seemingly endless space to move with rhythm and grace. Here, they live in harmony, secure in their ancestral roots and habits. However, with the inexorable human expansion, the transformation of these pristine landscapes appears relentless. Yet, paradoxically, all cultures appear to revere such wildernesses.
In the hope that it prompts us to start thinking about this cultural contradiction, I have attempted to create a visual form for our reverence. I imagine a landscape where time is forever suspended in a dreamlike way and where wild animals live in tranquility. And so, to start a conversation, I invite you to walk – accompanied by kids if you like - with the animals in their ethereal space, feel a lyrical moment, and participate in a heavenly experience.

AUTHOR: Anup Shah (United Kingdom)

Anup was born in Kenya, East Africa. A favourite activity while growing up there was visiting the nearby Nairobi National Park where he spent many hours watching wild animals roaming in their natural environment. This experience became the foundation for a career in wildlife photography. After higher education in England and several university degrees, he returned to Kenya and developed his interest in wildlife photography.

He received the National Geographic call that most photographers dream of for his first assignment for the magazine in 2001. This was followed by seven more assignments and having features in every major magazine in the world.

By now Anup had got fascinated by fine art photography and wondered if he could hit the sweet spot between documentary photography and fine art photography. This journey began with publication of three photography driven books for the New York art publisher, Abrams. His latest project published in book form, The Mara, is an attempt to have the viewer feel what is it like to be intimate with wild animals and thereby feel a primeval connection. This distinctive style of photography is characterized by an unusual perspective that serves to impart immediacy and inclusion. The viewer might as well be immersed in the private space of a wild animal, mentally, emotionally, and intellectually, breathing the special air of the wild.

Anup was featured in The World’s Top Wildlife Photographers book (Rotovision 2004) and in Horzu magazine (February 2010) as one of the five best wildlife photographers in the world. He is also one of the 10 ‘Masters’ featured in the book Masters of Nature Photography (Natural History Museum September 2013).

In the past, Anup has exhibited (solo) at venues such as Visa Pour L’Image and (group) The Natural History Museum, London, and The Fence. More recently, in 2016, he had solo exhibitions at Umbria World Festival, Italy and Konica-Minolta Gallery, Tokyo.