7 January 2010 - 8 April 2010

People are what motivate Steve McCurry. His religious views have seldom been recorded but the faith that has surrounded him on his journeys is Islam. McCurry rarely gets close to the outwardly religious lives of Muslims. What we see is the less formalised expressions of devotion: a man at his food stall immersed in a book that is unmistakably the Qur’an, or a brick maker at prayer surrounded by his dusty production line. The backdrops do not conform to the usual images of Islam, nor do the subjects. Seldom are they just ‘a Muslim’; they are always people, individuals going about their lives, typically in difficult situations. Although the shadow of war and adversity hangs over much of McCurry’s work, his views are far from hopeless. Most provide an uplifting insight into lives that are beset with problems and yet are normal for those living them. The resilience of the human spirit can be seen everywhere, as can the transcendent beauty of nature.

Steve McCurry’s Bio:

Steve McCurry, recognised universally as one of today’s finest imagemakers, has won many of photography’s top awards. Best known for his evocative colour photography, McCurry captures the human struggle and joy. He has searched for and found the unforgettable; many of his images have become modern icons. Born in Philadelphia, McCurry graduated from Pennsylvania State University. After working at a newspaper for two years, he left for India to freelance. It was in India that McCurry learned to watch and wait on life. If you wait, he realised, people will forget your camera and the soul will drift up into view. McCurry is driven by an innate sense of curiosity and wonder about the world and everyone in it. He has an uncanny ability to cross boundaries of language and culture to capture stories of human experience. For 20 years he has used Epson printers to help accomplish his vision.

These events are presented by the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia in association with Epson.