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Welcome onboard! Your host on this journey from Dufftown in Scotland to Jodhpur via Chandigarh is J.J. Valaya. Not in terms of distance, Valaya gauges the journey in the number of years, which he says, is almost four decades, transporting you to his childhood. The only souvenirs that can be collected in intangible form are the architectural patterns of three cities. That’s the plan of action he has devised using the medium of photography. The exhibition of his works, titled ‘The Soul in the Space’, began on November 4 and will be on till December 2 at the Oberoi, Gurgaon. The journey begins from Scotland, where he recently went to attend the Glenfiddich’s artists’ residency and stumbled upon the idea of capturing the beauty of architecture. He, thus, justifies why Scotland features in his scheme of things. Coming to the other two, Chandigarh and Jodhpur, he says, both are of equal significance. "I was born in Jodhpur and raised in Chandigarh. All three places that have influenced me are rich in architecture," says the luxury fashion designer-turned photographer. In Chandigarh, he extensively clicked the Vidhan Sabha, Panjab University and Punjab and Haryana High Court. Valaya’s first outing with camera came to the fore last year with ‘Decoded Paradox’. For that matter, this exhibition, too, could have been titled sequel to the first one because that’s what Valaya has precisely done. He has not only captured the structural designs but also the stark differences between them. "If Chandigarh is all concrete and cement, Jodhpur is made of stone and Scotland is further different as tin makes for the buildings’ constituent." At the same time, he promises certain similarities. "I delved back in time and realised that 14th century structures like the Ramgarh Fort in Jodhpur are as appealing as those of Le Corbusier’s 20th century buildings and metal industries of 21st century of Scotland." Nowhere in his pictures, quite surprisingly, the beauty of structures gains importance over the geometry. What, in fact, find shape in black and white and a few colours in the frames is the details of texture, play of light and geometry of structures, "Factors that comprise the soul of architecture." The title of the exhibition becomes self-explanatory. Valaya, however, is clear that he doesn’t want his art pursuits as a fashion designer to be juxtaposed with his accomplishments as a photographer. "I consider the latter as a purer form of art, where there are no pre-empted designs, where heart follows art and not the trends that dictate the world." He is happy treading two different journeys, of fashion, for which people know him, and of photography, which he undertakes to pamper his alter-ego. The primary reason to put up the exhibition is to satisfy his urge to indulge in serious art. "Art makes me fearless; it gives me satisfaction. It gives me a sense of freedom, experiencing which I can wear blinkers, forget about the world and just create art." It’s only art, he feels, that gives the creator the freedom to claim a dot on canvas as art. "For everything else, you have to prove your point. He doesn’t associate commercial aspects with art, as that he feels dilutes the difference between art and any form of business. Art and uniqueness is what Valaya has always stood for, be it in his designs for fashion or his photography. But the degree of uniqueness is a bit questionable here given the fact that Jodhpur and Chandigarh have been clicked ample times by photography enthusiasts. "Some overlapping is bound to happen but an artist should always interpret the object of interest in his own way, without bothering about its popular or lesser popular features." Those who will go ahead with this journey with him will come back with one unsolved puzzle, whether he is a better fashion designer or a photographer.
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Festive lamps
Fair display
Ring tone