By Alesha Capone
A series of images showing the different faces of Japan, captured by Hoppers Crossing photographer Imran Abul Kashem and Werribee photographer Bill Strong, are on display in Wyndham.
The two men have teamed up for the Happy Travels exhibition, which will be on until Thursday, December 19.
Their photographs show how each of the men responded to the rich cultural experience of travelling in Japan.
Mr Strong, who has been a Werribee resident for more than 35 years and belonged to the area’s former camera club, describes himself as an “enthusiastic amateur photographer”
Happy Travels is his first exhibition, with the images captured during a recent two-week tour through Japan during Cherry Blossom season.
Mr Kashem, a former journalist, said he was is inspired by everyday occurrences and lived experiences.
After moving to Australia in 2008 from Bangladesh he was confronted by the language barrier and found it difficult to tellpeople’s stories in an unfamiliar language. To overcome this obstacle, Mr Kashem turned to photography as a new outlet to communicate, and rediscovered a medium he had always been passionate about.
While studying photography at Melbourne Polytechnic, he worked on a variety of short and long term personal projects.
In 2017, Mr Kashem was awarded a Mobility Grant from the State Government of Victoria, which allowed him to travel to Japan and document daily life there.
He has received awards for his travel photography from Australian Institute of Professional Photography.
In 2019, he was nominatedan Emerge Cultural Ambassador of Multicultural Arts Victoria.
The Happy Travels exhibition is on at the Old Shire Offices at the corner of Duncans Rd and Watton Street, Werribee, from 10am – 4pm. See www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/whats-on/emergegallery for details.
