" A Man and His yellow frames"
Theme: People & Places
Time: 1 Month
Person: 1
100 Frames and Emotions
Storyline
“Your home should tell a story of who you are and be a collection of what you love," says Nate Berkus. This quote shows how well our homes represent who we are as individuals. Every corner and wall has a narrative, from being painted in various colors to being adorned with artistic items. All around the world, people and homes follow the same pattern. They hold the affection, warmth, and memories that give us life. The following describes the story of Surjit Singh, a person who values having a simple yet beautiful home.
My attention was immediately drawn to his little but charming home as soon as I entered it. It is tiny, hardly bigger than a living room, and located in one of the Chandigarh sectors of India. He built his own house, adding allure by using a lot of yellow or gold-colored frames. Yellow symbolizes optimism, warmth, hope, and happiness; these qualities are also evident in his personality. One can observe how these yellow frames equally balance his aura of dynamism while talking with him.
He also has a decent collection of miniatures and minor objects. These artifacts include mitti ke miniatures (clay miniatures), mini sculptures, frames, artificial flowers, decorative lights, and many other pieces to decorate his home. He continues to collect art pieces that he finds lovely and suited for his home, even at the age of 70. He is a firm believer in working independently and living a happy life. Collecting such pieces of art and decorating his home is not only his hobby; it keeps him busy and brings him immense happiness. He thinks that tiny artifacts add character and comfort to a home.
Although he lost his wife last year, he treasures each moment of life and resides there with her memories. He has four daughters, and all are married. After his wife’s demise, his younger daughter stays with him throughout the day and leaves for home in the evening. His younger grandchildren regularly visit him after school.
He has faced numerous difficulties during his life, yet he has never lost his zest for life. He has made up many funny stories about his antiques that cracked me up. He is humorous and has a warm character, just like those yellow frames.
From frames of windows and doors to ceiling fans, some aged 20–30 years This shows the strong and deep connection a person has with his home. My approach is to portray how common it is for people to lead a simple lifestyle despite the difficulties of life. This project has allowed me to understand how much a simple and small place can influence a person's life. How often have we wished for the opportunity to slow down and be more present in our lives? We all should make small efforts and make the most of the opportunities by working hard with what we have.
Our homes are an honest reflection of who we are on the inside. People and homes follow the same pattern everywhere around the world. They hold love, warmth, and memories—things that sustain our lives. This is the story of a man and his friendly but lovely home, where he cherished his life.
As I entered his home, I was captivated by its small yet beautiful aura. It's tiny, barely the size of a living room, in one of the sectors of Chandigarh (India). He built his own home by himself. He used many yellow/golden colored frames to add charm to his home.
This house is full of artifacts, as the person who lives there has a hobby of collecting small things and making his home pleasant and lively.
Glimpses from some of his collection
His story revolves around the frames he painted himself…
As a photographer, I learned to be more aware of my surroundings and how impactful any place I visited could be. It's not always about capturing the right frame or a beautiful place; it's about looking for things that inspire you. People reflect what they observe in their surroundings. Your perspective can only help you widen your approach if you are flexible and aware of the things around you. It also helped me to not limit my work within boundaries and try something new.I started to become more aware of things that have impeccable or even very small impacts on people or subjects. Rather than focusing on making frames beautiful, I like to experiment with new perspectives.
