"The deeper I get into the project, the clearer my vision becomes."
Vasantha Yogananthan's (b. 1985, France) practice addresses the space between documentary and fiction. Working solely in analogue, his photographic projects are developed over long periods of time and over the years he has developed a distinctive colour palette solely based on natural light. His epic series A Myth of Two Souls (2013-2020), inspired by the epic tale The Ramayana, draws inspiration from common imagery associated with this myth and its pervasiveness in everyday Indian life. Yogananthan offers a modern retelling of a story first recorded in 300 BC, through retracing the legendary route from north to south India. He has received several awards, including FOAM Talent (2017) and an ICP Infinity Award for Emerging Photographer of the Year (2017). Yogananthan is the fifth laureate of Immersion (2019) which earned him a residency in the United States in 2022, prior to a solo show at SFMOMA, the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris, and ICP New York in autumn 2023.
Yogananthan made his latest series, Mystery Street, in New Orleans during the spring and summer of the Immersion residency. Following a group of children as they play and explore together, the images are alert to the subtleties of place, friendship, and growth. Replete with the artist’s celebrated attention to light and sumptuous use of color, Mystery Street is Vasantha Yogananthan's visual poem told in fragments, full of life, light, and the possibilities of youth. This series is nominated for the 10th Cycle of the Prix Pictet Prize; the world’s leading award for photography and sustainability.
Limited edition prints by Vasantha Yogananthan start at €1,600 + VAT.