Capturing Beauty Amidst Chaos

Steve McCurry, the world-acclaimed documentary photographer best known for his iconic “Afghan Girl” portrait, is currently having his first exhibition in Malaysia entitled “A Common Faith”. His largest solo show to date, the exhibition showcases 80 dramatic photos shot by McCurry in Islamic countries he has visited over his illustrious 30- year career, and most of them are on public display for the first time.

“Islam has been a key influence for many of my subjects,” says McCurry, “These range from majestic architectural structures, to the way the religion’s many different sub-cultures of followers dress, to the way they worship and live. Through this exhibition, I hope to portray the fascinating beauty, deep introspect and spiritual resilience through troubled times that Islam has inspired in the places I visited.”
McCurry focuses on the human consequences of war, not only showing what war impresses on the landscape, but rather what it shows on the human face. This results in thought provoking photos that move and inspire the viewers. This is perhaps most evident in the expression of his most famous subject: The Afgan Girl, who inspired sympathy in millions when it appeared on the cover of June 1985 National Geographic magazine cover.
“I think covering areas of conflict is important,” McCurry stated. The human drama in such areas cannot be underestimated and I think being a war photographer who conveys these emotions through photos is a noble profession.”

McCurry rarely gets close to the outwardly religious lives of Muslim. What shown in the photographs are the less formalised expressions of devotion. The backdrops do not conform to the usual images of Islam, nor do the subjects. Seldom are they just ‘Muslims’; they are always people, individual going about their lives, typically in difficult situations. Although the shadow of war and adversity hangs over much of McCurry’s work, his views are far from hopeless. The everywhere, as can the transcendent beauty of nature resilience of the human spirit can be seen.

A MOMENT IN TIME

Born in Philadelphia in 1950 and graduated from Pennsylvania State University, Steve McCurry left to freelance in India after working with a newspaper for two years. “It was my first trip to India and it was a random decision,” he said. “This trip made an impression on me and shaped my career. I chose West Asia, South-East Asia and the Middle East because it is in these places where I have the most connection and inspiration. In these ancient lands, cultural and visual possibilities are so much stronger. There are so much of the past being preserved.”

It was in India that McCurry learned to watch and wait on life. If you wait, he realised, people will forget your camera and the soul will drift up into view. “Creatively, I imagine and visualise photo possibilities wherever I am. I think it is an important skill to be able to isolate and recognize a picture out of a scene,” he remarks.
He also has an uncanny ability to cross boundaries of language and culture to capture stories of human experience. “I like to celebrate people, places and culture through my photography.

“I think that covering areas of conflict is important. The human drama in such areas cannot be underestimated and I think being a war photographer who conveys these emotions through photos is a noble profession.”

His coverage of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan won the Robert Capa Gold Medal for Best Photographic Reporting From Abroad, an award dedicated to photographers exhibiting exceptional courage and enterprise. McCurry shoots with DSLR and medium.