A Symphony of Creativity: Journeys of an Editor and a Photographer

Dayanita Singh crafts the most exquisite photo boxes. Stylishly constructed wooden containers, each accommodating 30 of her images. Yet Dayanita herself is beyond categorization. A few months back, we convened at a café in Colaba. She came bearing a printed booklet showcasing her latest creation. It was titled Photo Lies. Given the plethora of visuals I receive daily through email, Instagram, WhatsApp, and more, you can imagine my elation at the infrequent moment when a Dayanita Singh, recipient of the 2022 Hasselblad Award, endeavors to print her work, compile it into a book format, and presents it before you. Sigh.

Photo Lies, I discerned, were collages. A collection of monochrome photographs, distinctly captivating, yet more: both familiar and unrecognizable. I pondered if I detected hints of Bijoy Jain within them, something Japanese, undeniably ancient, always cinematic.

Two of those collages have graced the cover of AD’s annual art edition (There are two distinct covers this time, each presenting a collage from Photo Lies—if you wish to grab a copy of both). Six additional collages are included—together with an eloquent essay by Somak Ghoshal. However, each isn’t merely a single image of one location, thus that tally is entirely misleading. They are compositions, physically cut and merged, devoid of AI, Photoshop, or any digital manipulation. Only traditional hand-cut, crafted, composed, and re-composed collages fashioned from her own images. Like poetry, the lines, shadows, proportions, textures converge, and a fresh whole emerges from aged fragments.

Indeed, I am reminded of John Berger and his Ways of Seeing, the formerly revolutionary body of work that revealed to us—with verbal and visual elements—how our perception is immensely shaped by a multitude of assumptions surrounding beauty, truth, and personal interpretation, rendering it less alarming and more enjoyable. She prompts contemplation: Am I witnessing, or failing to witness, or perceiving without prejudice, as I cannot differentiate or possess any knowledge of what I’m observing? Should I concern myself with trying to recognize the creations of masters? Or should I simply relish this universality of space-making? Does it imply that my concept of beauty isn’t confined to factual understanding: Who created it, what it is, where it resides, and so forth? When Berger’s beliefs that shape my perception are stripped away, what remains is liberating, at least in this scenario.

I still seek her insights, as she sits across from me, contentedly enjoying her salad. She merely smiles with her expansive eyes. Child, woman, child.

This art special, marking the inaugural issue of 2025, also includes the AD100 list for 2025. While it can be viewed as a hundred distinct practices (plus 11 Hall of Famers), collectively it represents what aesthetics, design, and architecture in India signify at present. And if you delve deeper, perhaps you’ll uncover the assumptions, histories, biases that form our homes, or the labor of memory, imagination, creativity, and madness that shapes our environments. Regardless, my warmest congratulations to all included on the list this year. And for the upcoming year, I wish for everyone an openness of thought, a sense of humor, and that sheer enjoyment in creative endeavors that I witness in Dayanita Singh, each and every time.

Art Director: Chandni Mehta