As a child Arhant Shrestha dreamt of Kathmandu. For him, Kathmandu was a city of make-believe, a manifestation of everything he couldn’t see from his family compound. Kathmandu existed purely in the imaginary. Yet, except for his time at Bard College, New York, Kathmandu has always been home. He was born and raised in the Nepalese capital, though as he describes it, Kathmandu was a land far, far, away.
Shrestha’s childhood memories consist of car trips from home to school, school to home. When he was finally of age, and able to venture onto the streets, it was as much a queer awakening as it was photographic, and he documented Kathmandu’s nightlife and hedonism. Then he and his partner fell victim to a homophobic attack in the street. “The assault damaged my relationship not only to men but also to Kathmandu,” he says.
Turning to his camera he started to make new work, recording alternative images of men. “Masculinity, and the camera, is not inherently and entirely violent,” he says. “There are communities of male support, familial, platonic, sexual. It is important for me to understand that. Those strong arms could be used for violence, or embrace.”
Find the full interview in the latest Ones to Watch issue via the BJP Shop. Grab your copy via the link in bio.
This issue will soon be delivered to our Print Subscribers and Full Access Members. In the meantime, all Members can read the online version on our website.
📷:
@arhantnice
🖊:
@isaac_hux
#BritishJournalOfPhotography #OnesToWatch25 #photographymagazine
