Past and Present is a series which draws parallel between three generations by recreating past portraits. The original portraits date back to 1947-1978, and were taken in either Patna India, Karachi Pakistan, or London England. All scenes were then recreated in studio and in my family home in Toronto. The images were then digitally scanned and placed side by side. The two scenes, when placed together, act as a mirror which allows the viewer reflect upon how each subject has been affected over time.
The photos of my grandparents were taken 1947 after they were newly married, before the birth of their eight children and before the partition of India and Pakistan. My grandfather’s striking resemblance to her father is what inspired me to make this series. The similarities in appearance of these two men also draws parallel with similar themes in the lives of these two couples. Both my parents and grandparents were forced to migrate various times in their lives for the benefit of their children, in the process leaving behind many other loved ones and the lives they had created in that place. The series is a testament to the adaptability of people and questions what it is to truly call a country “home”.
