Sarker Protick is an award-winning photographer and artist. His works are grounded in the ideas of time and space. His approach incorporates detail observations and subtle gestures to enter into personal spaces. Whether working with family, environment or history, Protick’s work consistently deals with time and how it transforms life. He is a member of VII Photo Agency.
We featured a selection of Sarker's work on the @worldphotoorg feed, where we showcase exceptional photographers each week.
Hi Sarker. Please introduce yourself and tell us more about your work
My name is Sarker Protick, born in Bangladesh. I wish I was surer as to what to say about my work and myself but lately, I have realized that every year it changes, and I don’t know what to say. I was always a musician, writing music was my only passion I had until I found out photography. I am interested in the idea that time that can be explored through the medium. But I am always very fond of light, sound, and space. And as I am writing this I realized, in a strange way they all share a common feature. The have no physicality, we can’t touch any of it.
Tell us about the series of images we featured. Do you have a favorite, and why?
I think they are all somehow important to me. But to pick one or two, the photograph of my Grandmother is very significant for me and close to my heart. Then there is this photograph I made of Thom Yorke, who is one of the most influential artists for me.
Why photography? What does the medium mean to you?
When I started to make photographs with a small camera phone 8 years back, I didn’t know anything at all about photography or any form of visual art. So it felt like discovering something new and a joyful thing to do. Initially, it was like making a journal, something very personal. After a while, I learned more when I went to a photography school and realized it’s also a language that I can use to say what ever I want to say. Just like writing my own music, but here I am using visuals instead of sound. So that became an exciting path, to learn a completely new language and write stories/proses/poem etc.
Do you have a photographic philosophy?
I believe our own individual philosophies towards life reflect in our work and images.
Where in the world are you and what's next for you?
I have just returned from Berlin and at home, in Bangladesh. I teach here at “Pathshala”, the photography school where I also studied once. It has been fours years of doing that and I miss being a student. So the next thing for me would be to get admitted to a university for the Masters. While I keep doing what I do and explore the possibilities of music/sound in a physical space to experience.
sarkerprotick.com
@sarkerprotick
@worldphotoorg
