“You stole all my words,” exclaims Edwin Koo, a freelance photographer based in Kathmandu, sitting next to Debby.[break]
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In November 2008, Singaporean nationals Debby, 27, and Edwin, 31, spent a month taking photographs in several homes of Nepali families, most of them living in Kathmandu. What links the families they visited are with the “bahinis” or sisters, whose education is being supported by The Little Sisters Fund.
Debby, also a photographer, was sent on an assignment by Asia! to learn more about the Fund, established in 1998 by Trevor Patzer and Usha Acharya. The trip led to the development of a photo essay in collaboration with Edwin, who was already in Kathmandu.
“The initial goal was to bring exposure to the Fund in Singapore in order to attract more sponsorship,” informs Edwin, who quit his job as a staff photographer in 2008 and came to Nepal at the suggestion of one of his lecturers.
“We wanted to show that there is a not so comfortable life outside of comfortable Singapore,” he furthers. Edwin has been documenting the fate of Maoist combatants, Tibetan refugees, and the birth of a new Nepal through his lens since his first visit to Kathmandu in March 2008.
The photoessay was eventually put together in a book titled “Life of my Sisters” in April 2009. Consisting of 46 images, and accompanied by texts, the book tells the story of bahinis aged eight to 19 years old. An exhibition of the pictures was also held in Singapore by Asia! and will now open at the Nepal Art Council in Kathmandu on Saturday, April 17.
“When we held the exhibition in Singapore, we tried to recreate the walls of the home,” recalls Debby and adds, “It’s going to be a little bit raw and edgy this time, too.” Supported by Nepalphotography.org, the images will be displayed in 18x12” digital prints.
“Two girls will be reading poetry and two others will narrate short stories of their lives at the opening,” shares Edwin, who currently lives in Chandol of Kathmandu. The exhibition is set to move to the Bhugol Park on New Road after two weeks at the Council.
“The gallery-going crowd and the people we are targeting at Bhugol Park are different,” he apprises. The exhibition will be up for a week at the latter location.
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The question was, “What’s the best part about working in this project?”
Edwin takes a moment to reflect after Debby and puts in, “It’s to be able to interpret a life of an average Nepali girl, in pictures, without even knowing the language.”
“Bahini: Life of my Sisters” will open at the Nepal Art Council on Saturday, April 17.
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