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.