BUILDING BLOCKS

Objects passed down from generations ago exist in our homes, taking up little space but with vast meanings. For four image makers, the untold tales of these objects remain intensely personal

QUIET OBJECTS OF TRADITION

by Farheen Fatima

Fatima started practising drawing at an early age and distinguished herself thanks to her and creative mind. She has always been fascinated by images and how the world is represented through the eyes of others.

"Paan daan is one of those objects in the house that occupies space but stays out of your sight. Its presence is silent. The paan daan in my house has quietly collected three decades worth of time, rust, and dust. Apart from the occasional dusting, it doesn't get much attention. In a family where no one eats paan, it arrived here with my mother as part of her dowry. Upon asking, my mother told me about the custom of including a paan daan in a bride's dowry as a gift for her soon-to-be in-laws."

FOR POSTERITY

by Harkaran Singh

The London-based photographer views his work as an extension of seva, a Sikh practice of selfless service, meaning the process of taking an image is often more important than the outcome.