VASANTHA YOGANANTHAN
AMMA
Photographs and text: Vasantha Yogananthan
Cover artwork: Jatinder Singh Durhailay
Book size 24.5 x 30 cm
Softcover with flaps
Pages 168 pages with 60 photographs tipped-in by hand
Language French/English
Publication date: September 27, 2021
ISBN: 979-10-96383-22-1
A Myth of Two Souls (2013-2021) is inspired by the epic tale The Ramayana . Drawing inspiration from the imagery associated with this myth and its pervasiveness in everyday Indian life, Vasantha Yogananthan has traced the legendary route from Nepal to India to Sri Lanka. First recorded by the Sanskrit poet Valmiki around 300 BC, The Ramayana has been continuously rewritten and reinterpreted, and continues to evolve today. Yogananthan's series is informed by the notion of a journey in time and space and offers a modern retelling of the tale.
The seventh and last chapter, Amma ('Mother' in Tamil language) closes the project A Myth of Two Souls , after 437 pictures published over seven books (2016-2021). To celebrate this epic saga, Chose Commune releases a very special book in close collaboration with the artist — a book with 60 photographs tipped-in by hand (printed and bound in Italy).
Amma is centered around the princess Sita and deals with the concept of 'purity'. By no means a happy ending, the closure of The Ramayana forces us to question Rama's behavior and his obedience to rules set by a patriarchal society. On the other hand, Sita's beliefs and actions are free from culture. Sita means furrow in Sanskrit, she is the daughter of the Earth.
The pictures composing Amma take us from the seacoast of Sri Lanka, to the city of Ayodhya to the jungle of Bihar, India. Their chromatic scale recreates a world where civilization gradually disappears to leave room to a purely metaphysical space. The Ramayana has neither end nor beginning. It represents the circle of life and therefore it will always be.
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A Myth of Two Souls (2013-2021) offers a contemporary reinterpretation of the Ramayana, through a journey through time and space. Inspired by the iconography generated by the myth and its prevalence in Indian society, Vasantha Yogananthan retraced the route taken by the heroes of the epic from Nepal to India and Sri Lanka. The Ramayana was written in Sanskrit by the poet Valmiki around the 4th century CE. It has crossed the ages by being continually rewritten and reinterpreted and continues to evolve today.
Seventh and final chapter, Amma (which means "mother" in Tamil) closes the project A Myth of Two Souls after 437 photographs published in 7 books (2016-2021). To celebrate this epic, Chose Commune publishes, in close collaboration with the artist, a book in which all 60 photographs are glued by hand (printed and bound in Italy).
The images that make up Amma were created over the course of thirteen trips to India and Sri Lanka (2013-2021). Amma is centered around the character of Princess Sita and questions the concept of "purity". The end of the Ramayana, far from a "happy ending", highlights Rama's cruelty and his blind submission to the beliefs of a patriarchal society. Sita, daughter of the earth - her name means furrow in Sanskrit - is free to make choices not dictated by male culture.
The photographs that make up Amma were taken along the coasts of Sri Lanka, from the city of Ayodhya to the jungles of Bihar, India. Their chromatic palette recreates a world where civilization is gradually disappearing, giving way to a purely metaphysical space. The Ramayana has neither end nor beginning, it represents the cycle of life. It has always been and always will be.