Mobile Photography Intimate Interview with Nayeem Siddiquee aka @jabaznayeem from Bangladesh, South Asia
Our one hundredth and second interview in this series of intimate interviews is with talented mobile photographer Nayeem Siddiquee, @jabaznayeem on Instagram. Nayeem Siddiquee is known to everyone as “Nayeem Jabaz”. He was born in Chittagong, Bangladesh on 21 June 1995. He started street photography (as a serious hobby) in 2016. In a short time he has become part of the ‘New Wave’ of Bangladesh Street Photographers. He is the editor of the Street Photography Bangladesh magazine which contributes a vital role to the Bangladesh street photography community. He is also the founder of the instagram account Animal in Street. Nayeem’s work is full of his own feelings, emotions, and imaginations which he tries to capture through his camera.
His works have been selected for exhibitions in several countries, including Photo Sofia, Street Photo San Francisco and the International Photography festival. He has also been featured in several photography blogs, including Break the Circle and International Inter University Photography. He has been a finalist in various competitions including the Dhaka University Photography Competition. His work has also been Featured in Eyeshot Magazine and in the 17th issue of the Underdog Magazine.
This is an interview that will inspire you, very different from yesterday’s one with Lisa Cirenza who has been based in London, UK for 20+ and is originally from the US, but common in its belief and breadth of mobile photography. Enjoy!
To read the other published interviews in this series including artists, Adria Ellis, Rino Rossi, Mehmet Duyulmus, Alexis Rotella, Lou Ann Sanford Donahue, Irene Oleksiuk, Kerry Mitchell, Filiz Ak, Dale Botha, M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, Deborah McMillion, Rita Colantonio, Amy Ecenbarger, Jane Schultz, Anca Balaj, Joyce Harkin, Armineh Hovanesian, Kate Zari Roberts, Vicki Cooper, Peter Wilkin, Barbara Braman, Becky Menzies, Sukru Mehmet Omur, Sarah Bichachi, Michel Pretterklieber, Alon Goldsmith, Judy Lurie Wahlberg, Andrea Bigiarini, Sean Hayes, Oola Cristina, Kathleen Magner-Rios Linda Toki, Deb Field, Emilo Nadales, Lydia Cassatt, David Hayes, Jean Hutter, Frederic Deschênes, Mark Schnidman, Fatma Korkut, Fleur Schim, Rob Pearson-Wright, Dieter Gaebel, James Ellis, Marco P Prado, Jeronimo Sanz, Manuela Matos Monteiro, Bleu Chemiko, Manuela Basaldella, Stefania Piccioni, Luis Rodríguez, Marilisa Andriani(@mitrydate) Mayte Balcells (@artofmayte), Nicole Christophe, Jennifer Graham, Cathrine HalsørPaul Toussaint, Carol Wiebe, Julie Denning, Kim Clayton (@berleyart), Karen Messick, Serap Utaş, MaryJane Rosenfeld, Paul Suciu, Susan Latty (@pause.and.breathe),John Nieto, Phyllis Shenny, Joy Barry, Max Lies Derdonk, Rita Tipunina, Violet Martins, Nizzar Ben Chekroune, Lynette Sheppard, Paul-Andre Hamel, Rejane Rubino, Susan Detroy, Rosalie Heller, Wayman Stairs, Cintia Malhotra, Anita Elle, Juta Jazz, Cheryl Tarrant, Hanni König Kaoru Shintaku David Gilbert Jana Curcio, Mary Lorincz Amado Ergana, Francesco Sambati, Philip Parsons, Kathryn Garkut Massimo Bortolini Camilla Crescini Francesca Malagoli Sidonie Petit Dirk Fleischmann, Fiona Christian, Alastair Hooley Juliet Morris Lisa Cirenza and myself, go here.
What was your earliest childhood ambition?
My father had a old film camera . Though I was not allowed to touch it, everytime wherever I went I always imagined what if, I could catch these beautiful moments? I had to wait fifteen years to meet my first camera. My ambition was to be a photographer.
First recognition?
Like I told you before, from my childhood I always wanted to show my imagination to the world. In 2016 I went to Dhaka ( the capital of Bangladesh) which is one of the most crowded cities of the world. While visiting Dhaka I had a thought, where would we all we go if an earthquake happened? I took some photos of buildings and crowds of the city & posted them within a social media photography group. The renowned architect of the country Mr Rafiq Azam loved my photograph and he really loved to Exhibit my photograph’s in his project which was going to exhibit in 15th International Architecture Exhibition of “La Biennale di Venezia”, the event “Time-Space-Existence”. This incident inspired me to work more on photography and inspired me to show my thoughts through my photos.
First job?
To be honest I’ve been doing my first job for three months. Though I’m getting tired of it, as I have to work 10 hours at an office and I have to spend three hours and more on the road. Honestly, I’m beginning to hate it. But everything I’m doing is to live as a photographer. Hopefully one-day I will publish one of my books.
Private or State school?
I studied in a state school and also completed my College life there. I loved my school life because at that time everything was very straight forward, there was love and it was full of people I could trust. I think I was happy at that time 🙂
University or Work?
It’s hard to choose. I didn’t enjoy my University life at all. I studied at a Public University but it was full of bad memories. Though I had freedom at that time. On the other hand as an employee, I literally only get a few hours to live for myself …
Who was or is still your mentor?
To be honest I have no mentor but a lot of artist works inspire me a lot to develop my own style. I’m really thankful to Isa Gelb, Shams, Stavros Stamatu for teaching me a lot.
How physically fit are you?
I was in a depression for two years and put on too much weight. Right now I’m trying to overcome it and trying to lose weight too. I was on life support for ten days in September 2013 since then my body needs time to revive.
How politically committed are you ?
I am not a blind fan of any political group better I will support any group whose support democracy.
Ambition or Talent, what matters more to success?
Both are same to me, but still I will choose ambition because without it talents are worthless ….
What ambitions do you still have?
It sounds crazy and a bit childish but I want to be one of the best photographer’s of all time….haha.
What drives you on?
I don’t know what drives me on, maybe the beach, sky, grassland and my imagination, books. I can pass whole day by watching the same blue sky.
What do you find most disconcerting in other people?
When people show off what he/she is, that totally irriates me.
What is the greatest achievement in your life so far?
I have received a lot of award’s for my photography and i believe award’s can give me the satisfaction I want badly but I think during the time of “Bangladesh in Frame” which is one of the best exhibition’s of the country, one of my photograph taken by phone has been postered around everywhere. I guess this inspired me a lot but on the other hand when people from around the world personally message me they love my work those are my biggest achievement I believe.
If your 20 year old self could see you now, what would she think?
Haha I like the question very much. May be I would say to go back, so I’m happier than I am now.
Which object that you’ve lost do you wish you’d still had?
Difficult question may be tons of Pokemon Tezos that I lost…
What is the greatest challenge of our time?
The climate change for sure. As I live in a Coastal area, I am already going to feel how difficult it can be living in future .
Do you believe in an afterlife?
A big YES and I also believe in fortune.
If you had to rate your life satisfaction so far, out of ten,what would it be?
I will mark it a big zero. I still feel a lot of things i need to do in my life but yet i am still didn’t do enough. On the other hand I enjoy it if you always dream something big, you have to work harder & harder for it. i really enjoy the dream to grow up.
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter, creator of the world’s most popular mobile photography and art website— TheAppWhisperer.com— TheAppWhisperer platform has been a pivotal cyberspace for mobile artists of all abilities to learn about, to explore, to celebrate and to share mobile artworks. Joanne’s compassion, inclusivity, and humility are hallmarks in all that she does, and is particularly evident in the platform she has built. In her words, “We all have the potential to remove ourselves from the centre of any circle and to expand a sphere of compassion outward; to include everyone interested in mobile art, ensuring every artist is within reach”, she has said. Promotion of mobile artists and the art form as a primary medium in today’s art world, has become her life’s focus. She has presented lectures bolstering mobile artists and their art from as far away as the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea to closer to her home in the UK at Focus on Imaging. Her experience as a jurist for mobile art competitions includes: Portugal, Canada, US, S Korea, UK and Italy. And her travels pioneering the breadth of mobile art includes key events in: Frankfurt, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Paris, Brazil, London. Pioneering the world’s first mobile art online gallery - TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com has extended her reach even further, shipping from London, UK to clients in the US, Europe and The Far East to a global group of collectors looking for exclusive art to hang in their homes and offices. The online gallery specialises in prints for discerning collectors of unique, previously unseen signed limited edition art. Her journey towards becoming The App Whisperer, includes (but is not limited to) working for a paparazzi photo agency for several years and as a deputy editor for a photo print magazine. Her own freelance photographic journalistic work is also widely acclaimed. She has been published extensively both within the UK and the US in national and international titles. These include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Popular Photography & Imaging, dpreview, NikonPro, Which? and more recently with the BBC as a Contributor, Columnist at Vogue Italia and Contributing Editor at LensCulture. Her professional photography has also been widely exhibited throughout Europe, including Italy, Portugal and the UK. She is currently writing several books, all related to mobile art and is always open to requests for new commissions for either writing or photography projects or a combination of both. Please contact her at: [email protected]
