Visual Arts at Sevenoaks School

 Having scanned this QR code, you are probably standing in front of my projection and mixed media work of a man named Navaraj in Mumbai.

I visited the motherland most recently in February, last year.

It was a very stressful time in my life. I felt exhausted and lost.

I was walking along the bustling streets of Bombay (Mumbai), when I stumbled across this man.

Something struck me about his composure.

I asked him if I could take a picture of him for my artwork.

I asked him to tell me his story.

My own photos of Navaraj, in Mumbai, February 2025

His words were as follows.

“My name is Navaraj. I am proud of my mother’s name, as it comes from the auspicious Himalayan River, Mahindra. Today, I am having a very good day because some schoolchildren gave me Bisleri (bottled water) and food. I never feel isolated because I feel grateful for what I have, and I am content with everything God has given me. I accept that this is my life.”

Now that you’ve read that, you either:

1)        Think I’m insane to speak to a homeless stranger on the road

2)        Agree with me to ponder the difference between Western and South Asian culture in terms of attitudes to socio-economic status.

I hope you are thinking of the second.

That’s something to think about. How might my response have differed if I asked the same thing to a homeless man in London?