A journey through Rio de Janeiro

Housed for ten days in the Santorini-esque Khaas Art Gallery are recent works of Brazilian photographer Aimir Reis.

ISLAMABAD: Housed for ten days in the Santorini-esque Khaas Art Gallery are the recent works of Brazilian photographer Aimir Reis.

In his exhibition which began on October 1, 41- year-old photographer from Sao Paulo has focused on different landscapes of Rio de Janeiro from the famed Copacabana Beach to other renowned landmarks. Places like Sugarload Mountain along with other scenic places are all features of the ‘Love, Rio’ collection.

Reis not only does a fantastic job in capturing breathtaking landscapes but also amalgamates the people of those areas into his final shot. “People in these photographs not only add a lot of energy but render a different dimension to the captured landscapes,” said Zahid Riaz, an Islamabad based lawyer who purchased Reis’s ‘The Ball’ 2009 for his personal collection.

Joao Belloc, deputy head of mission at the Brazilian embassy, said that the exhibition had been exclusively organised for Islamabad to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil.

A separate showing of Brazilian architecture is also being displayed at the Brazlian embassy, but the items over there are not for sale. However, the more contemporary artistic collection being exhibited at the Khaas gallery will be up on display till October 10 and caters to commercial purpose.

The photographer, Aimir Reis, said that Rio de Janeiro was the main inspiration for his collection. “Rather than the urbanity of the city, Rio’s culture and exotic landscapes were the main inspiration behind my work,” he said.

Real received his formal training on photography from Brazil and is considered an expert on the city.

Art lovers from around the capital flocked to witness the exhibition, where Islamabadi collectors socialised over delectable hors d’oeuvres served by Khaas. Noshi Qadir of Tanzara Gallery, while describing the dramatic effect evident in Reis’s work, said, “The photographs are infused with colour at the right angles in the black and white pictures.”

“The minimalistic introduction of colour superimposes the eccentricity of the picture,” she added.  Qadir thought each picture was layered and textured with different type of emphasis laid upon different aspects of the subject.

“From the idle branch of a tree creeping in from one corner of the photograph to the statue of Christ on top of the Crocovado Mountain draw people into the photograph,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2010.