Indian photographer Sayan Bose celebrates the cultural heritage of Bengal in this striking image of a young farmer. Sayan Bose had travelled two hours from his home in Kolkata, India, for a day of documentary photography in Sangrampur, West Bengal. “I was roaming around the village, capturing the local people’s lifestyle, asking about their daily lives and jobs and struggles,” Bose says. “I got talking to a 17-year-old called Ariful Alam. He was a farmer at a large sunflower garden. He was youthful and fun-loving, and agreed to pose in the field for me.”.
Sign up to Inside Saturday. The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion. Alam wears a Chou, or Chhau, mask. “They hold a significant place in Bengal’s rich cultural heritage,” Bose says. “They’re used in a traditional folk dance, the Purulia Chhau, which narrates mythologies and folklores, and also as decorative pieces. I chose to use the mask that depicts a character named Mahisha, from Mahishasura Mardini, a 21-verse stotra from Hindu mythology.”.
In the March sunshine, the men worked collaboratively to create the shot; Bose described his vision for the image and Alam suggested he lift his arms to express the emotion of the moment. “It created a striking contrast; the combination of nature, tradition and culture,” Bose says. “Mahisha is a demon, so while the sunflower garden is extremely beautiful and eye-catching, we’re reminded that even beautiful things have their negative side.”.
