About the Artist: Yogendra M. Shah

Yogendra M. Shah, the artist currently featured at the Tamarind Art Gallery, is an Indian-born wildlife photographer who is currently working as a research affiliate at the Gir National Park in Gujarat, India. He was also recently commissioned by the Gujarat Forest Department to research the distribution and status of small rare species in the Saurastra region, a project he has been working on for over six years now.

Yogendra has actively worked with wildlife for the past 16 years after receiving his Bachelor of Commerce in Zoology at the Gujarat University of India. He also has a Masters of Science in Ecology and Environment from Manipal Sikkim University in New Delhi. Throughout his years of field experience, Yogendra has been invited to do research and photography for many big wildlife organizations in India, such as the Gujarat Forest Department and the Rajesthan Forest Department. He has worked on research projects including the waterfowl census at the Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, the Great Indian Bustard census at Naliya, and the tiger census at Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, among others. Yogendra has traveled to many areas throughout India to examine and study India’s magnificent wildlife.

His photography has been nationally exhibited throughout India, and in 2002 he received the Wildlife Photography Award for his distinguished wildlife photography from the prestigious visual arts school, Lalit Kala Academy in New Delhi. Yogendra has also made important contributions to major wildlife publications such as Important Bird Areas for the Bomaby Natural History Society and The Gir Lion by Dr. H.S. Singh. Yogendra’s show at Tamarind Art Gallery, Nature Captured, will be his first international exhibition.

Nature Captured

India’s growing population and its civic and technological expansion are rapidly threatening the countries colorful and diverse wildlife. This situation is endangering India’s biodiversity, and may possibly lead to the extinction of several unique species. In an effort to bring about an awareness of these dangerous circumstances, Tamarind Art Gallery is showcasing an expansive exhibition of sixty-three photographs of Indian wildlife. Each animal featured suffers from the threat of extinction due to land development and human exploitation of natural resources.

The show is a collection of works by professional wildlife photographer and avid conservationist, Yogendra M. Shah. Each photograph brings the elusive beauty of these creatures in their natural habitat to light. All of the images on display are available in limited edition prints from the gallery; the proceeds will go towards the World Wildlife Federation, The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and the Wildlife Management Institute in order to conserve and protect India’s natural wildlife.

We hope that the images in this exhibition not only please your aesthetic sense but also inspire a communal sense of responsibility to protect and cherish our common natural heritage. In our modern and interconnected world, we have all become collective stakeholders despite political boundaries. Nature is so intricately interwoven that irresponsible actions taking place on any corner of the planet affect us all. These photographs serve to remind us of that essential, but all too often forgotten, truth.

The show will run from July 7th 2009 until August 8th 2009.