Art exhibitions feature a wide range of subjects, from the unusual to the mundane. And then, there are some topics which would generally go unnoticed.
Ringing in the New Year with this visual showcase of the poignant stories of Goa’s stray dogs, is the eminent Indian contemporary photographer, Rohit Chawla.
His latest photo exhibition, ‘Rain Dogs’, was recently unveiled at the scenic Aguad Port & Jail Complex in Sinquerim, North Goa.
‘Rain Dogs’ captures an intimate portrayal of these often disregarded animals in the monsoons during the COVID-19 lockdown, transforming them into symbols of vulnerability, resilience, and survival.
The exhibition is open for public viewing till February 15, 2025.
THE ART, THE ARTIST
Rohit Chawla is an internationally acclaimed Indian photographer, celebrated for his unconventional portraits of some of the biggest names in India’s political and creative landscape.
“When I began taking these pictures, more than turning a pack of neglected dogs into a subject, I was attempting to frame my vulnerability, scattered thoughts, and inability to express them,” says Chawla, who won India its first-ever prestigious ‘Industry Craft Gold Lion’ at Cannes, France in 2023.
“These images are among the quietest, most introspective works I’ve done. The stark desolation of those times, set against the magnificence of the Goan monsoon, became my poetry of choice,” he adds.
Former Group Creative Director for a leading Indian media group, he has conceptualised and photographed over 400 magazine covers, cementing his position as a leading force in visual storytelling.
One of India’s leading contemporary photographers, Rohit Chawla spent close to two decades in advertising before moving out to start his own design and film production company.
He has also won the Grandprix at Spikes Asia for design 2024 and another Grandprix at Abbies in June 2024.
A culinary aesthete, he also enjoys food photography and has completed three coffee table books, The Indian Accent Cook Book , The Fine Art of Food and The Bangla Table from Chettinad.
BEYOND GOA
In addition to the exhibition, ‘Rain Dogs’ will be published as a coffee table book by globally renowned publishing house HarperCollins, set to launch at the Jaipur Literature Festival on February 01, 2025.
Furthermore, the exhibition will travel to the Museo Camera Centre for the Photographic Arts, in Gurgaon, where it will be on view starting from January 26, 2025, taking a piece of Goa’s monsoons and its stray dogs to a new audience.
‘Rain Dogs,’ by Indian contemporary photographer, Rohit Chawla, is open for public viewing at the Aguad Port & Jail Complex in Sinquerim, North Goa, till February 15, 2025.