“The turban and the beard are the most powerful and obvious symbols of a Sikh man - Singh is a celebration of that identity.” For Amit & Naroop, a part of the inspiration came from the sudden popularity of the beard as a fashion statement across magazines, billboards & TV, last year. They wanted to pay tribute to their heritage and culture in a way that expressed their skill and style as contemporary British photographers.
How Did They Do It?
They set out on the task of finding and photographing Sikh men of various ages and diverse backgrounds. These were people with unique looks and professions like creative heads, boxers, magicians to fashion stylists. They photographed all the people in the studio, and by keeping the lighting, framing and creative style/technique constant, the subjects became the center of attention in all images.
As you will see below, the end result are images full of character that tell a unique story about every individual. A celebration of the Sikh religion, weaving through each unique portrait, uniting them, are the symbols of the faith - the beard and turban.
Amit & Naroop recently reached their goal on Kickstarter to bring this project to life at an exhibition .