2. February 2014

VIEWS
realized that money isn’t everything but love
and oneness is everything.
The Iranian husband wife team, Soha
Ebrahim Zandi, and his wife Somaya
Farhan , two independent photographs
and filmmakers have been travelling
through ten countries on their bicycles
since April , 2012. The countries they
have travelled so far are Turkey, Georgia,
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan, Afghanistan, India and Nepal,
and are still on their process for travelling
to other countries. The artistic duo arrived
in Nepal on the month of September in
2013. I could only imagine their harsh but
extraordinary expedition and dedication
on travelling the world on bicycles while
taking photographs and building concepts
for it, Ebrahim explains to me, “well I’m the
photographer but my wife has the eye for
surrealistic details. We are one soul in two
bodies”. Somaya smiles and I could sense
that they had experienced a life changing
circumstances in their journey. Both of
them had a sparkle in their eyes, a flash of
kindness, down to earth personality and
their love for every being on this planet.
She explains to me, “a realistic photo
should be complemented with surrealistic
paintings and only then the representation
becomes lively and perfect.” The both of
them explained to me to that their journey as
a symbol of ying- yang which helped them to
perceive the world in another dimension.
I had to ask them what inspired them on
such a tough mission, their chronicle of
kindness and oneness followed when they
lost their savings of US$ 8000. The bank
in their country had shut down and they
could not get the money through any bank
transactions while they were travelling.
They couldn’t believe such an incident
would occur and specially while travelling
abroad. Isolated , tired and hungry they
kept cycling around countries but that
experience changed their views of life
completely, as people from all the countries
they visited greeted them with the act of
kindness. Provisions for food, water and
rest were a special hospitality treatment
everywhere they went; they carried on
with the journey for twenty months without
a single penny. It was a feeling of surreal
for them as they recall. The act of such
kindness made them realize that such
awareness had to be spread; hence they
started sharing their experiences through
exhibition like these. Losing their money
helped them to realize that money and
materialistic attachments are of actual no
importance at all, but your outlook towards
yourself and the people are all that matters.
As I was the last person still observing
their photographs and paintings done by
Kathmandu University art students, and was
then ready to leave, the curator and owner
of the gallery Mrs. Sangeeta Thapa greeted
me again and asked me to come again,
my answer was a definite, “yes of course”.
After all these kinds of interactions between
people makes me joyful to do my work and
spread their message of love and oneness.
Soha Ebrahim Zandi and Somaya Farhan
20 / SPACESNEPAL.COM
Surrealism is considered as an art and
literature combined that was founded in
Paris in 1924 by the French poet Andre
Breton. These kinds of art are used by
surrealist artist as a weapon against the evils
and restrictions they see against society.
Literally meaning super reality, surrealism art
is nowadays getting popular even in Nepal.
Art students from Kathmandu University
showcased their own perceptions according
to the photographs taken by Soha and
Somaya. Their perception of their surreal
art is shocking as well as remarkable, a
literature in art.