In this project, I studied the rather contradictory life of the last Maharaja of Indore, Yashwantrao Holkar II.
Beneath the veneer of sophistication and luxury lay a more enigmatic and tragic side to the Maharajah’s life—a man torn between the West and the East.
His passion for contemporary art and modernism coexisted with the heavy legacy and duties of a ruler—thus, the internal conflict between personal desires and societal expectations creates an image of a person akin to a free puppy tethered by the golden chain—Yashvant craves freedom, yet his obligations bind him.
The jewels and legacy of the dynasty serve as a metaphor for a weight—one that constrains yet simultaneously gleams and draws the eye. The imagery merges Eastern textiles and ornamentation with the materials of European luxury, modernism, and Art Deco, akin to an attempt to reconcile two incompatible worlds.
credits
ph: @alinsmv mua: @darkviz.mua md: @tonykire special thanks: @psikletw
