Learning from Nuri Arunbiarti Moeladi
As the earthquake shattered Nepal in April, the region’s photographers scrambled to be there. The role of the photographer is to document, to increase the perspective, to widen the aperture of consciousness, if you like. There is something about a single photograph that can alter the narrative, focus the mind and open you up to a new understanding.
So it was that our friend and collaborator, Nuri Arunbiarti Moeladi, who headed to Katmandu in the aftermath of the earthquake to see for herself, and by extension, see for you, the world that is Nepal. Her images made National Geographic impressions and have helped frame up our understanding of the Nepalese and the situation they face.
Nuri’s stories were not of disaster but of human transcendence. No matter how much destruction a Himalayan earthquake can wreak, no matter how many lives it can take, the people remain people and the thousands of years of human story continues. Her images capture both the material devastation and the human transcendence.
For us at the Studio, we felt that one of our own was there. We felt connected in real time by WhatsApp. So we are happy that Nuri’s work has been recognized and she has allowed us to post it here. If it were not for the energy of people like Nuri we would only live in a world of mass media and the stories would only be ones that tried to make you feel good about yourself. In the real world, the world that Nuri documents, you are reminded that you are but one of a few billion specs of life and that it is our collective consciousness that is bigger than ourselves.
There is a lot changing in our world. Most of it is due to the kind of connection that helped us stay in touch with Nuri. Some of that change is frightening. But some, in fact most, is enlightening. Thanks to people like Nuri.