Besides editorial portraits and behind-the-scenes film photography, Mujtaba Ali, better known as Kuki has also created self-realised projects and merged the lines between art and photography. Re-connecting with Kuki each time is always a pleasure for he always has something new to share. Over the years, I’ve worked with Kuki for several print editorial projects and found myself more informed and inspired than before. We sat down together recently to reminisce about favourite photos and new ideas, while jotting down a few things for my readers to learn more about him. Just FYI: One of his recent favourite projects was all the behind-the-scenes photography for Asim Raza’s 2019 film Paray Hut Love.
Where did you grow up and how did you become a photographer?
I was born in Lahore and have lived here for most of my life and a few years in Karachi and Dubai. Besides the occasional traveling, I’ve always been a part of this beautiful cultural city.
I don’t think I became a photographer, I just chose a camera to capture what I see, what inspires me visually and what impacts my thoughts — it can be a nude figure or a aged man, an empty corner or a crowded street my appetite for capturing images is just endless and I feel that’s what drives me each day to just hold my camera and wait to be inspired .
What genre of photography excites you the most and why?
Portraits and nudes. Just plain and simple photography, no fancy makeup or over priced outfits, just a moment in time captured in its originality.
What does the word creative mean to you?
It means simplicity.
Have you ever thought about the kind of legacy you would like to leave behind as a photographer?
To be able to stand as witness to something simple and yet timeless and everlasting.
More from Kuki
