Bammi provides vision of Indonesia's other face
Bammi provides vision of Indonesia's other face
Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Nowadays, it is simply not the right time to promote Indonesia,
with its graphic images of terrorist attacks shattering the
resort island of Bali, its poverty on display along the main
thoroughfares and its officials caring less about their people
and more about lining their pockets with "incentives".
There are so many more such images that provide hideous
portraits of the real lives of the people here, that they can
make one instantly draw the conclusion that this country is a
downright, big-time lost cause.
But this is not the case with Vivek R. Bammi -- an history and
philosophy teacher as well as coach/advisor to the Model United
Nations at Jakarta International School -- who possesses a
profound passion for music and photography.
Together with his mentor Deniek G. Sukarya -- an Indonesian
photographer whose work is so renowned that he has become a
household name -- Bammi takes aim (with his camera) at the other
side of Indonesia, where he has lived since 1990.
Welcome to the romantic and natural beauty of this
archipelago.
Bammi's Indonesia: A Feast for the Senses can really work to
remedy the weekly news headlines about the ongoing hot pursuit
for terrorists or officials who cheat on their people and remind
us of the richness of this country; its people and its natural
environment.
Filled with full-color photographs of creative compositions
and nearly perfect printing quality, A Feast for the Senses
resembles a dreamland where God is at work with His omnipotent
hands, creating peaceful and attractive islands and their
cultural troves.
"In the pages that follow, as we traverse across each
enchanted isle, I hope to open your pores and touch the deepest
chords of your being, in imitation of my own fragrant journey,"
Bammi writes in the foreword, titled "Invitation to the Feast".
"I have also attempted to introduce the living treasures of
each culture through its own concepts and practices, a recovery
of indigenous knowledge that lies at the heart of contemporary
anthropology's quest to redress the imbalance of colonial and
elitist perspectives."
Bammi certainly undertook the legwork and extra miles to
produce this book, traversing the archipelago from its west to
east, nearly covering the entire nation: Papua, Flores, Lombok,
Bali, Tana Toraja, Manado, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Jakarta,
Bandung, Kalimantan, Padang and Minangkabau.
His upbringing in the lush tea plantations of Assam, India,
has obviously been a founding influence, sharpening his esthetic
taste for flawless scenery and perfect lighting.
But the most enchanting aspect of this book is Bammi's
alluring, flowing poetic descriptions that accompany the photos.
His academic background in history at the University of Delhi
and at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, the United
States, and in social anthropology at the University of London's
School of Oriental and African Studies are also undoubtedly
behind the historical and anthropological perspectives that
graces the photography with further depth.
He calls his approach "friendly anthropology" -- that is,
presenting each culture through its indigenous perspective -- but
as he explains, "My offering does not pretend expertise, just
unbounded enthusiasm."
Whether part of the term's implied or intended meaning,
Bammi's lens extracts and enhances the country's cultural and
natural heritage, offering a view through which one may attempt
to connect, accept and, perhaps, understand Indonesia.
Amid the current wave of unceasing socio-political turbulence
hitting the country, more people with eyes and minds like Bammi's
are needed to take us on a tour through the country to remind us
of the goodness it holds.
As Bammi enjoys the beauty of the country and its people with
the peace of his mind and heart, his readers, too, are able to
learn this from his experience.
Indonesia: A Feast for the Senses is available at QB Books and
other major bookstores.