Women and Tribals of India
After a life-long love affair with all things Indian, Wambaugh finally visited Southeast Asia in 2001. A spice scented dream became an intense reality for her, filled with layers of unforgettable color, action, gritty poverty, all mingled with warm hospitality and often set against the backdrop of fantasy ruins or mogul castles. And after 10 years of return trips, India is her second home.
During that first trip of discovery, she photographed many women busy with daily village and city life; everything was candid. Returning to the USA, Wambaugh continued the series focusing on the Indian Diaspora in Houston. Over the ensuing years many festivals and dancing at them, as well as, a bevy of beauties from Miss India Pageants have been documented. Models were posed against diverse Houston landmarks.
On her second trip to India (2002), Wambaugh became interested in expanding the age range of the women and since then has sought out elderly and the newest members of villages. In 2008, a woman near Pushkar, Rajasthan was photographed whose family assured all she was 105 years old and had twice almost been buried!
2003 marked a turning point as the year she began traveling to remote places to document tribal people. She went to the Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh and in 2004 to nine extremely remote Kondha Tribal villages in Orissa. Under the auspices of both states’ governors she was able to photograph tribal folk against the primitive background of their living conditions much as they have been for thousands of years. For years many tribal folk have been leaving their remote wilderness homes for cities. (Few people seem to be taking an interest in tribals as they are the poorest sector.) An unusual tribe, the Toda lives at the 5000’ level in the Nilgiri Mountains where Wambaugh was able to photograph a lone village in 2005. Their population is now 1100. In 50 -100 years when tribes have assimilated, it might be good to have these images of their transitory life. Other tribes who have adopted the cities include the colorful Banjara, which means gypsy. Found throughout India, Banjara are the most gaudy wearing hand-embroidered vests and colorful skirts. Wambaugh has repeatedly sought Banjara, most recently near Hyderabad in 2009 and 2010. The Bhils of Rajasthan (whom she documented in 2008 beside their teak branch huts) are just as colorful but more friendly. Wambaugh also witnessed the legendary yogic dancing of the Kalbeliya women of Rajasthan. 2010 found the photographer in Kerala shooting new tribes of the southern Nilgiri Mountains and 2011 tribes in the far north near Dehra Dun.
Exhibited:
2006 Faces of India, Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures, Corpus Christi
2008 Retrospective: Photographs 1978-2008, CICCC, Beijing, CHINA
Honors and Appointments:
2010 Marquis’ Who’s Who in American Art
2004 Visiting Professor, Utkal Culture University, Bhubaneswar, INDIA
2009 Visiting Professor, Osmania University, Hyderabad, INDIA
2003-7 Mayoral appointee, Board Member Civic Art Committee, Houston, TX
© Michele Wambaugh
After a life-long love affair with all things Indian, Wambaugh finally visited Southeast Asia in 2001. A spice scented dream became an intense reality for her, filled with layers of unforgettable color, action, gritty poverty, all mingled with warm hospitality and often set against the backdrop of fantasy ruins or mogul castles. And after 10 years of return trips, India is her second home.
During that first trip of discovery, she photographed many women busy with daily village and city life; everything was candid. Returning to the USA, Wambaugh continued the series focusing on the Indian Diaspora in Houston. Over the ensuing years many festivals and dancing at them, as well as, a bevy of beauties from Miss India Pageants have been documented. Models were posed against diverse Houston landmarks.
On her second trip to India (2002), Wambaugh became interested in expanding the age range of the women and since then has sought out elderly and the newest members of villages. In 2008, a woman near Pushkar, Rajasthan was photographed whose family assured all she was 105 years old and had twice almost been buried!
2003 marked a turning point as the year she began traveling to remote places to document tribal people. She went to the Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh and in 2004 to nine extremely remote Kondha Tribal villages in Orissa. Under the auspices of both states’ governors she was able to photograph tribal folk against the primitive background of their living conditions much as they have been for thousands of years. For years many tribal folk have been leaving their remote wilderness homes for cities. (Few people seem to be taking an interest in tribals as they are the poorest sector.) An unusual tribe, the Toda lives at the 5000’ level in the Nilgiri Mountains where Wambaugh was able to photograph a lone village in 2005. Their population is now 1100. In 50 -100 years when tribes have assimilated, it might be good to have these images of their transitory life. Other tribes who have adopted the cities include the colorful Banjara, which means gypsy. Found throughout India, Banjara are the most gaudy wearing hand-embroidered vests and colorful skirts. Wambaugh has repeatedly sought Banjara, most recently near Hyderabad in 2009 and 2010. The Bhils of Rajasthan (whom she documented in 2008 beside their teak branch huts) are just as colorful but more friendly. Wambaugh also witnessed the legendary yogic dancing of the Kalbeliya women of Rajasthan. 2010 found the photographer in Kerala shooting new tribes of the southern Nilgiri Mountains and 2011 tribes in the far north near Dehra Dun.
Exhibited:
2006 Faces of India, Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures, Corpus Christi
2008 Retrospective: Photographs 1978-2008, CICCC, Beijing, CHINA
Honors and Appointments:
2010 Marquis’ Who’s Who in American Art
2004 Visiting Professor, Utkal Culture University, Bhubaneswar, INDIA
2009 Visiting Professor, Osmania University, Hyderabad, INDIA
2003-7 Mayoral appointee, Board Member Civic Art Committee, Houston, TX
© Michele Wambaugh
