Watch with Wonder

The distant rustle of a tusker emerging one morning from the forests of Nepal. The crack of the shifting expanses of ice in northern Mongolia. The swirl of mist around a lantern atop of Hong Kong Island. The squeaky whistle of diving kites over the holy waters of Varanasi. Black clouds carrying sleet over the rock country of Australia. Men with their eagles on horseback singing love songs as they ride through tall grasslands. This book of images is a thought-provoking look at stillness and reflection, from the bushlands of Australia to the frozen lakes of Mongolia, and the deserts of the Middle East. It’s a personal look at places of silence and space where I have found peace and meaning. My hope is to invite the viewer to pause, slow down, and look. Pay attention to the small, magical things that are happening within each image and find your own place within them. There we can meet in silence—and be still. When you stand in front of a photographic print made with movement and the play of light, it takes you to a place where you can instantly feel your mind slowing down. The smallest of details within it become significant. A calmness sets in and without knowing it you place yourself deep within the image, and by doing so feel part of something much bigger than the everyday.

Indian born and Australian raised, Palani Mohan lives in Hong Kong, the harbour city that he loves, and which serves as a base for his editorial, corporate and fine art work. He is the author of six books including Wind Water, a visual and artistic reflection on the feng shui elements, and Hunting with Eagles: In the Realm of the Mongolian Kazakhs, which has been lauded as an anthropological treasure. His work has been widely published by many of the world’s leading publications and he speaks frequently about photography, including in the TEDx series and at the Asia Society in Hong Kong and New York. www.palanimohan.com

HKUP Spring 2024