Shumon Basar

Studio Portraits with a Writer & Curator

I first met Shumon at Ibraaz in London. A writer, editor and curator working across contemporary art, culture and technology, Shumon is co-author of The Age of Earthquakes and The Extreme Self, alongside Douglas Coupland and Hans Ulrich Obrist. His work also includes Art Dubai's Global Art Forum and Fondazione Prada.

Shumon later came to my London studio for a portrait session. We spent a couple of hours experimenting with different lighting, colours and compositions, and we found common ground over a Talking Heads album.

The conversation touched on some of the darker things happening in the world - of which there are so many right now - but it was also warm. We moved between simple, understated portraits and more experimental images using coloured lighting, shadows and movement that peaked somewhere around The Overload :)

A brilliant late afternoon with a fascinating person, and one of those sessions that reminds me how much I enjoy meeting people through photography.

Artist: Shumon Basar
Photography: Talie Eigeland