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This is the official catalog of the exhibition TWO REALITIES, with works by photographers Khun Hans and Noah Shahar curated by Marcelo von Schwartz. Exhibition held between June 13 and July 24, 2019. Rivercity, Bangkok, 2019.
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hile we can define “Reality” as the sum of all that is real or existent, -as opposed to that which is merely imaginary- we should agree in there are many different ways to read and show this reality. Accentuating -or focusing on- some things over others seems to be the usual way we caught ourselves this reality. Same happens with photography. Even always trying to be “realistic” we can’t avoid to prioritize some things over others. That’s why I find particularly interesting to see the work of these two photographers together. Hans Meuter [Khun Hans] and Noah Shahar are two experienced photographers with a very particular way to show the reality. Actually, what they have in common is a totally opposed idea about how to show the reality in pictures: Noah Shahar clearly takes sides with a photography focused on people, from whom he tries to extract its inner world to trace elements of their history. This contrasts sharply with the usually blurred background that is used in his photographs as an element of visual containment and subtly complements the information to build every character story. Khun Hans stands at the opposite end. His impressive panoramic views and landscapes dominate the photographic scene where human figures sometimes appear to essentially endow a human scale, making the space even more spectacular. The landscape itself becomes the figure with its drama and magnificence. Even in the images where space is more limited, human figure again means a small, minor, fleeting presence. And this happens not only in terms of scale, but also in terms of temporality. These images are also speaking about the force and permanence of the natural or architectural environment in opposition to the transience of the human being. It is interesting to see how these two visions can complement each other, establishing a dialogue as a game of mirrors where both realities saying something radically different are -at the end- mutually included. Marcelo von Schwartz Bangkok, 2019
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Khun Hans 7
Hans Meuter [Khun Hans] is a member of The Royal Photographic Society Of Thailand. Because of early experience in dark room work, he never gave up taking photographs with his his analog film cameras. ‘A bunch of fresh film rolls in my bag make me feel happy’ He is an avid street, temple and cityscape photographer traveling with his analogs and Leica’s the world. “-Beauty can be discovered in anything to photograph as people, street life, city buildings but in his vision nothing is more pleasing than a beautiful landscape. That’s why he is in love with Landscape Photography. Going out trailing for the right spot to catch the sunrise and the quietness of taking a photo at sunset calms him down from the busy way of life in East Asia. Photo-friends all around the world allow him to gather at all these wonderful locations, shown in this exhibition.” EXHIBITIONS: -Contributing Artist at the Exhibition ‘IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE’ at the NEILSON HAYS LIBRARY, Bangkok,Thailand, September 2015 -Contributing Artist at the Exhibition ‘THE SPIRITUAL LIFE OF EAST ASIA’ during the ‘DOCUMENTARY ARTS FESTIVAL’, Chiang Mai Thailand. -Contributing Artist at the Exhibition ‘FACES OF THAILAND’ Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2014
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Twilight at U-Bein Bridge, Amarapura, Myanmar 2017
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Dunes and Mountains, Death Valley, California 2012
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Rainbow over Lake Powel, Aizona-Utah 2014
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Mist Over Doi Inthanon Mountains, Thailand 2014
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Mountains After Sunset Near Guilin, China 2013
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Camel Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan India 2015
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Doi Suthep Over Chiang Mai, Thailand 2014
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Staring at Buddha, Myanmar 2017 16
Monk Novices In Myanmar 2017 17
Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong 2017
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The Power Of Light And Shadows 2019 19
Bridge Amarapura, Myanmar 2017
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Isle Of Skye, Scotland 2019
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Horseshoe Bend, Colorado River, Page, Arizona 2014
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Isle of Skye, Scotland II 2019
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Wilder Kaiser Montain, Ellmau, Tirol, Austria 2018
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Faroe Island In The North Atlantic Sea 2017
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Sam Pan Bok, 3000 Holes, Mekong River, Thailand border to Laos 2015
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Mesa Arch, Canyonland , Utah, USA 2013
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Cuvillies Theater, Residence, Munich 2016
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The Unbelievable Beauty Of The Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi 2019
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Myanmar , Ngwesaung Beach 2016
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Sunset On The Island Of Sylt, North Sea, Germany 2018
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Noah Shahar 33
Born and raised in Tel-Aviv Israel, Noah Shahar has been a professional photographer for more than 25 years. He began his career as a fashion photographer working with top designers and leading fashion magazines. More recently, Noah has moved on to wedding and portrait photography, where he draws on the flare and glamour of fashion shooting. Noah made personal changes in his life in 2014 and began working abroad, making Bangkok his regional base. With a new multicultural and international focus in mind, this move allowed Noah the opportunity to meaningfully expand his photographic style and artistic interest. For the last 4 years, Noah has been documenting people and stories through his lens in portraiture and documentary photographs, covering different people in different life situations and with a great deal of empathy for his subjects. This collection of images showcases some of his work in Thailand and across Southeast Asia. EXHIBITIONS: -November 2017: House Of Lucie Photography Gallery, Print Fair -June 2017: Cho Why Gallery Bangkok, group exhibition -2014: Tel-Aviv Photo, group exhibition -2012: Gebo Gallery Tel-Aviv, group exhibition
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The Boxer#2. Thailand 2015
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The Boxer #1, Bangkok 2015
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The Boxer #3, Bangkok 2015
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Chinese Opera Player #2, Bangkok 2017
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Touch Of A Fairy, Bangkok 2017
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Chinese Opera Player #3, Bangkok 2017
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Chinese Opera Player #1, Bangkok 2017
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Friendship #2, Bangkok 2018
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Easy Rider, Vietnam 2014
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Friendship #1, Vietnam 2014
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Tamang Hill Tribe Man,Nepal, 2017
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Red Dress, Bangkok, 2019
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Untitled #1, Bangkok 2019
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Untitled #2, Bangkok 2017
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Tattoo, Bangkok 2016
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The Rock #1, Vietnam 2014
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The Rock #2, Vietnam 2014
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Alone, Bangkok 2019
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Chinese Opera #3, Bangkok 2018
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The Hostess, Bangkok 2015
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Untitled #4, Bangkok 2017
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Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Bangkok 2017
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The Prince, Bangkok, 2018
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The Barber Shop, Bangkok, 2017
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The Feast, Vietnam 2014
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Smoking Grandma, Nepal 2017
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Heavy Load, Kathmandu 2017
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AKNOWLEDGMENTS The photographers would like to thank IBEMAS for their collaboration. Printed at {...} Bangkok, May 6th 2019
All pictures Š Khun Hans & Noah Shahar. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the photographers except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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TWO REALITIES A PHOTO EXHIBITION BY KHUN HANS AND NOAH SHAHAR CURATED BY MARCELO VON SCHWARTZ
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