auction image at Palette art gallery on 28 th of march

Suraj, pink, yellow and space

shoes and shadow, kamlesh and 786

MOCHI SURAJ ON WORK

Mochi Ki Dukan text through a tree

PERFORMANCE 28TH OF MARCH 2008

MOCHI KI DUKAN, KAMLESH Ki RASOI

( cobbler’s shop, Kamlesh’s Kitchen )

Suraj, a Mochi( cobbler ), a Dalit, a Schedule caste, an oppressed of our society, or simply a resident of a slum in Sunder Nagri Delhi.

Kamlesh, wife of Suraj, living in a rented 6'x6' barsati with a roiof of bamboo sticks over head. No she is not living there even, her son and his wife and their son is living there. Kamlesh, a mother of three sons and a daughter is still coming to her 'barsati' to cook for the family. She is quite fond of her grandson Kuldeep who accompanies her to their open air Dukan ( shop ) sometimes. Kamlesh has to feed her ailing husband who has no space to be in this small room. This old couple lives in a MCD nursery room as night guard. Kamlesh cooks meals with fallen straws, and rags of the rags of the rags.

Suraj as usual repairing shoes on the footpath on Tahir pur Road during the day time. He is cool.

My little intervention in Suraj and his family and his work is simply aimed to help him get a small Juggi ( shanty ) in the vicinity he is living right now. The auction of the photo images around his life, I hope will generate some instant money.

I hope, Suraj and his family joins the event when auction of his images will take place on 28^th of March 2008. They are likely to speak about their life.

When I told Suraj that I want to help him, he gracefully answered, “ even if nothing comes of it, I am fully with you”. REMEMBER, neither Suraj nor his father, nor his father, nor his father, and nor many more fathers of their fathers ever owned a house in Delhi, yet they always were true inhibitants of DELHI. .

Remember, the sale proceeds of this auction will go to Suraj and his family.

rag as fuel in Kamlesh ki Rasoi ( kitchen )