Nafise: Capturing Malaysia

In “A Given Path” photojournalist Nafise Motlaq has captured the rituals that mark the key milestones in our lives. With her camera, she has painstakingly recorded the details, religious significance and cultural diversity of Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and Hindus in the rituals they practice. More than 100 photographs with captions reveal the distinctive practices as well as the striking similarities that mark a human being’s sojourn on earth, no matter what their personal beliefs may be.

In the foreword, YB Marina Mahathir wrote ” Nafise Motlaq has the benefit of having the eyes of an outsider, able to see what we Malaysians have taken for granted for so long…….. She saw that amongst the diversity of our peoples, there are commonalities that underscore the humanity in us all. All human beings celebrate the passage of life, with ceremonies to commemorate important markers in our lives, from birth all the way to death.

The book “A Given Path” was launched in conjunction with Malaysia Day 2010 at the Leonardo’s at Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar on the 16th Sept .

Nafise Motlaq is an Iranian photojournalist who has been living in Malaysia since 2005. She has a Masters degree in Journalism and has conducted photography workshops at Malaysia’s National News Agency, Bernama and also at the University Putra Malaysia.

Video by KSTan, Citizen Journalist