Western photography of Asia can be gritty, featuring people living in wretched conditions as a way to draw attention to their plights. But Thai photojournalist Bhanuwat Jittivuthikarn took a different approach to his subjects when he travelled the continent. "Yes there are many issues that require awareness, but I want to do it by showing a lighter side of humanity," he said.
"Happiness Beyond Measure", a photography exhibition at Jamjuree Art Gallery, is an impressive embodiment of that philosophy. Over half of the pictures are portraits from Buddhist countries or communities in Asia - with so much detail and intimacy that they feel like windows to people we know. From Cambodia to Bhutan and Sri Lanka, the people are usually smiling and seem open and generous.
HUMBLE, HAPPY: Clockwise from top left of this set, ‘Bodhgaya, India 2009’. ‘Grandma Dolma 87 year old’. ‘Morning Alms Round, Mae Rim, Thailand 2011’. ‘Young Mongolian Boy 2008’. Bhanuwat Jittivuthikarn and ‘Old Tibetan in Saranarth, India 2010’. — Photos by Bhanuwat Jittivuthikarn
How does he break down the barriers among strangers to be able to shoot such intimate portraits?
"In Cambodia, for example," Bhanuwat says, "at the time there was political tension with Thailand. But I found I was able to speak Thai to them and they had nothing against Thai people. Politics didn't matter to them. But they're not used to being photographed. So it starts with a smile. If they smile back we can go further; I take snapshots and show them on the camera screen, and gradually make them feel more comfortable.
"I like to take pictures of people," he says, "but I'll shoot anything in front of me."
See also: Buddhism meets mythology
The exhibition also contains landscapes, from mountain vistas in Tibet to a blade of grass in Laos. While his works might not always look serious, "sometimes I have a political intent", he says. While Asia's violent side is what typically gets media exposure, he says, "it's wrong to use images simply for political purposes".
Bhanuwat studied at the School of Creative Arts at the University of Melbourne, and like many Thais going to study abroad, at the time he didn't know much about his own culture.
"To get the most out of my experience there, I realised I had to be able to understand my own roots, and part of that was to understand Buddhism."
He returned to Thailand in 2007 with a combined degree in international politics, which with his artistic sense gave him the platform to work for Sulak Sivaraksa's Sathirakoses-Nagapradipa Foundation, an Asian grass-roots empowerment organisation. This gave him the opportunity to take his camera onto the road less travelled, with access to Buddhist pilgrimage sites and eminent figures such as the Dalai Lama.
Although Bhanuwat is still only 28, "Happiness Beyond Measure" combines over six years of work throughout South and Southeast Asia. From a Tibetan pilgrimage in Bodhgaya to a young novice in a Mandalay temple, from a schoolboy in Bhutan to old fishermen at Ton Le Sap Lake in Cambodia - his pictures show that happiness isn't tied to material possessions but to how you live your life.
"The noble truths aren't apparent only in 1,000-year-old temples or sacred Buddhist texts. True happiness lives on in the people who practise it," he says.
Through the exhibition, he adds, "their smiling faces show how they share their sense of joy with me, a stranger they just met. They teach me that compassion is the secret to survival in today's world. They are a true sample of the men and women of Buddha, and we should learn from their attitude to life."
Bhanuwat believes photography has the capacity to transform the way people think and to create positive social change. "But rather than using photography as evidence, I want to use the medium to reveal the relationships between people and empower their sense of community and strengthen their ability to express who they are."
SNAP HAPPY: Clockwise from top right of this set, ‘Butter Lamp, India 2012’. ‘Young Novice, Sri Lanka 2007’. ‘Mantra flag, Pokhara, Nepal’. ‘Kalachakra ceremony, India 2012’ and ‘Guilin, China 2006’.
'Happiness Beyond Measure' runs until March 23 on the 2nd floor of Jamjuree Art Gallery, Chulalongkorn University, Phaya Thai Road. Call 02-218-3709.
