ASIAN Geographic Magazine - Issue 8 2009

In this issue

A good portrait is one that says something about the person. We always see ourselves in other people, so a good portrait also says something about the human condition. We see emotions in that person that we can relate to: happiness, sadness or suffering. When a portrait is not successful, it doesn’t make you see anything. You need to be moved in some particular direction. I think curiosity and empathy for my fellow man and every living creature is important to the way I work. I love wandering around a particular village, city or region and discovering new things. Being human and being concerned about life on this planet is what drives me to explore and examine people and their lives. But what in particular draws me to Asia? I find Asia probably the most fascinating part of this planet. The cultures in Asia seem to be the most ancient and their origins seem to have a direct link to the present day, some lasting thousands of years. There is no other place on the planet, perhaps with the exception of the pyramids in Egypt or ancient Greece, that has preserved the essence of such an ancient civilisation where temples, architecture, language, customs and art still remain and are as vital today as they would have been 500 or 2,000 years ago. I’ve always been fascinated by Buddhist cultures like those...