Photographer finds oasis of calm

Photographer finds oasis of calm

After being healed in a Buddhist abbey at 19 years old, one Swiss photographer came back to the religion 30 years later to capture the sacred mystery of Theravada Buddhism across several South Asian countries.

Freelance photographer Beat Presser shares his inside peak of this ancient religion with Ha Noi audiences, with 64 black and white photos on display at the Viet Art Gallery. The breathtaking photos on display give viewers a look into the mysticism that shadows the daily lives of nuns and monks in the monastery.

Presser developed an interest in the Buddhist religion more than 30 years ago when he suffered from a serious accident in Thailand.

"When I was 19 years old, when travelling in Thailand, I had a serious accident. I recovered thanks to the aid of a Buddhist abbey," said Presser. "During the time I lived in the abbey, I observed the practice Theravada Buddhism, and got an inside perspective of the lives of the nuns here. I became deeply connected to the life of the ascetic, and to Buddhism. I was really impressed by it. I couldnt find it in our culture."

Presser then made himself a promise that he would one day photograph Buddhism to tell the story of the religion.

Thirty years later, when Presser was working as a photographer, he remembered his promise.

"I came back to Thailand to begin the project that I had promised to do so long ago," said Presser.

Presser spent decades travelling throughout Southeast Asia across Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, documenting Theravada Buddhism and its followers.

According to Suzanne Lecht, the gallery art director, Presser personal journey led to an exhibition with pictures capturing an intimate holiness that pushes viewers to tap into their own sense of quiet and peace.

Presser said he chose black and white photography, to "show the timelessness of Buddhism, because Buddhism is timeless".

"It a pity that I have no photos of Buddhism in Viet Nam here at the exhibit. I see that Buddhism in Viet Nam follows another branch, and not Theravada. Buddhism in your country will be the subject of my next project," he noted.

Photography workshop

Presser is taking advantage of his trip to Viet Nam to conduct a two week-long workshop with a group of highly acclaimed local photographers. During this cultural exchange, Presser plans to encourage participants to see the image of Viet Nam not as a fixed notion, but as a territory open to photographic exploration.

According to Lecht, photography in Viet Nam has not developed as quickly as other forms of art. She attributes this to its absence from the curriculum offered at the Fine Arts College, the high cost of materials, and the challenge of maintaining photographs in Viet Nam tropical climate.

Despite these challenges, Viet Nam has been the home to several internationally acclaimed photographers.

"I saw this project as a wonderful opportunity to expose Vietnamese photographers to a high level of training while fostering the photographic community of Viet Nam," she said.

During his visit, Presser also gave a lecture and multimedia presentation at the Ha Noi Cinematheque last Thursday. The evening didnt only cover his work with Theravada Buddhism, but included an overview of his career, ranging from his work with famous movie director Werner Herzog, to a collection of images of the highlands of Switzerland.

Having studied photography and cinematography in Paris and New York, Presser has edited and had works appear in several well-known photography magazines. The freelance photographer and film-maker regularly produces photographic stories and exhibitions, which are shown all over the world. He teaches at various universities, and at photography and film institutions in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.

The exhibit is co-organised with the Swiss Embassy in Viet Nam, and will run until April 18 at the Art Viet Nam Gallery, located at 7 Nguyen Khac Nhu Street, Ha Noi For further information, please call 9272349.