The Sunday interview: 5 questions for Buku Sarkar

Today I will present Buku Sarkar the author of My Dead Flowers. Buku is a writer/poet/photographer.

1. Why photography?

I became very ill around 2013 an unable to write. A dear friend, mentor, who’s no longer alive, would come and read to me. One day, he asked: “Would you like to go on a photo walk?”. I asked: “What is a photo walk?”. Anyway, we went and since that day, instantaneously found a mysterious connection and an obsession which gradually became a profession.

2. What is your favourite gear? (camera, lens)

I’ve only used Leica handed down to me from my father but my first image published in NYT was from a cell phone. I didn’t even own a real camera back then.

3. What are your favourite subjects to photograph?

At first people and windows and being a voyeur, generally. But now I’m more interested in the human form and portraiture.

4. Can you name a few of your favourite photographers?

Francesca Woodman, Nan Goldin, Alec Soth

5. What can Substack community expect from you/your publication in the future?

My photographs are brutally raw and honest. I don’t hold back and am not shy. I think I funnel a lot of my anger and frustration and not being ‘normal’ through photography so it’s always full of surprises. I am mostly working on my memoir, self portrait series about living with chronic illness and that is expanding to portraits of others.

I’m very curious about the idea of how male vs female nudity is perceived in the art world (or any world rather) and censorship since my images can be quite revealing. I’m not much of a street photographer anymore but having recently moved to Paris I have been doing street photography a bit.