Muslim girls fencing on a London rooftop, sons of Nepalese soldiers covered in tattoos, TFL staff sporting red mohawks, Nina Manandhar shoots anything that could challenge people’s perception on a topic. ‘’You know, everyone has got a story they can tell’’ Nina smiles, a hand on her growing stomach decorated with a Baby On Board! badge. Youth culture in time and space fascinates the British Nepalese photographer, who enjoys capturing authentic stories in normal, regular people. ‘’They’re real people. That’s what makes it interesting’’. Growing up in the British Nepali community affected her work deeply, especially as the Gurkhas, over 200,000 soldiers having fought for Britain since the 19th century, were still fighting for their rights to stay on the Island instead of being sent off and forgotten about back home. She photographed the largest Nepalese community in the UK located in Aldershot, in the Buddhist Community Centre that gathers daily the youth, the faithful, concerts and games of pool. And a photoshoot. The result is a series of powerful, beautiful portraits of the k-BOYZ, young men who were born in Nepal before emigrating to India, Hong Kong and finally, their new home in the UK, an exhibition that is now on display in Kathmandu’s streets. ‘’It’s all about belonging. Here, there, now, then. There’s also a strong sense of brotherhood in the community, and I’ve always felt that through my dad and his brother (famous Nepali photographer Shreedhar Manandhar, whose work she just archived with the help of Kathmandu Photo)’’. The photos are simple at first sight, the boys are wearing their everyday clothes, the background is plain, but the project is complex. To gather the budget, a team and gain the subjects’ confidence was a job that had to be done way before setting foot in the Hampshire Temple. ‘’Seeing them, it made me realise how interesting it is to see how youth is constantly reinventing things. I grew up most of my life without a camera, I got my first camera phone at 19. It’s a different climate now, everyone has them. Which is good, because that leads to creativity, and creativity is fulfilling.’’
Nina concludes by admitting that she’s still ‘’learning stuff’’ everyday, and that’s a relief : we can’t wait to see what she will highlight next.