Photographer of the FREE

A New York retrospective of Shahidul Alam’s photographs shows freedom is resilient, even when fragile

- Bhavya Dore

IN SEPTEMBER 2018, photojournalist Shahidul Alam’s partner came to visit him in prison in Dhaka. She told him that New York’s Rubin Museum of Art was interested in showcasing his work. Would he be interested in the collaboration? A long-time critic of the government, Alam had been arrested under a draconian law following “provocative comments” in an interview. In prison, he was allowed limited communication with his visitors, using simple written signs: yes and no. He nodded and held up the yes sign.

Alam was released from prison in November 2018. In November 2019, the Rubin retrospective opened, with more than 40 images from a four-decade-long career. The museum’s