Stephen Dupont: The White Sheet Series No. 1

Overview

The Hindu festival Kumbh Mela is one of the largest religious gatherings on earth, held every three years on the banks of sacred Indian rivers. The festival welcomes pilgrims and visitors alike — visitors including Sydney photographer and documentary-maker Stephen Dupont.

Dupont's resulting series of photographs, The White Sheet Series No. 1, will be exhibited at the Black Eye Gallery this month. It features black-and-white portraits taken in the midst of Kumbh Mela, displayed in frames of hand-printed textile stamps collected by the artist during his time on the subcontinent.

The series is a natural step for Dupont, whose opus consists of photography and film that features fragile cultures and marginalised people. He has been exhibited in London, Paris, New York and Shanghai and this return to his hometown is an opportunity for Sydneysiders to see his newest work, which is, more than anything, a celebration of people and place.