GeorgiaPhoto Essays

Kakha Kakhiani | On the way to God

[T]his is my first project and it’s entitled On the way to God: it was a short story about specific traditions of the Georgian mountain’s inhabitants. I realized these images during my first travel around Georgia, when I was 18-19 years old. In each village there are different rules and habits.
I represent how people carry up the sheep for 12 km on the mountains and down back, sacrificing themselves. I tried to shoot an horse racing and the songs on the new year on the mountain Svanetian.
Some of these photos are taken in different times, with young hunters, they were just hunting without kill anything. In other pictures, there are street and everyday life’s scenes. Now I’ve got together all of these old documentary photos and I want to get a personal publication, only for me. (Kakha Kakhiani)

Interview with Kakha Kakhiani

(by Anna Mola)

Anna Mola: Why the choice of b/w? Does it concern the style only or maybe your idea of photography?

Kakha Kakhiani: I started to take photos in b/w, I prefer b/w, I had a view in b/w, and it wasn’t a question of style, it just came out. Comparing with my new photos, there is a different style, but I’m not looking for a style, because I think I must develop it.

A. M.: In your pictures I see a kind of uneasiness, insecurity, something weird, in short. Is it just my impression or is it your true point of view?

K. K.: Impressions are always true and important for each concrete person.

A. M.: You’re so young (22 years old) and you photograph funeral, men and young people with weapons, scene of confusion. Is it a way of representing your country or is there another reason?

K. K.: I was 18-19 years old, when I took this b/w photos and there were happening a lot of interesting things around me, but I choose more dark side of events or more wild theme. I don’t know why: everybody has his own personal deep feelings which decides what to explore. It isn’t a way of representing Georgia, maybe a way of representing just me.

A. M.: In some pictures there are a simple framing and an almost traditional image’s composition; in other we can see a bird’s-eye view and unusual and different perspectives. How do you choose the style of one picture?

K. K: I never think about framing, I take pictures as I see that concrete situation. The framing must be instinctive.

A. M.: Last question: how do you see in your future? Street photographer, reporter or other?

K. K.: I don’t define myself a photographer, I’m interested in everything, so, I could become a photographer, a painter, maybe also an engineer. I really don’t know the future.

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Anna Mola

Anna Mola (www.annamola.wordpress.com/), independent critic and curator. More »

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