Aryani East and West

Award-winning photographer Martin Miller has given us a remarkable time-lapse portrait of his granddaughter, Aryani, a happy fusion of the cool elegance of western culture with the spectacle and pageantry of the Hindu experience. From her breathtaking solo performances of classical Bharatanatyam Indian dance to her starring role as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, she embraces and exemplifies the best of both worlds.

When Aryani turned six, Martin began photographing her in earnest, taking inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s relatively unknown photographs of Alice Liddell, the subject of his famous Alice in Wonderland series of books. Martin soon recognized in Aryani that same enigmatic self-possession projected by Alice in those mid-19th-century photographs. He has captured her transformation from early childhood to the doorstep of womanhood while she explored her dual heritages, choosing his forte in black and white imagery to depict her western moods and full color for her flamboyant Indian dance costumes.

The Aryani project continued through her twelfth year, marking the end of her childhood and the beginning of her adult life. This book is a moving tribute to the joyous gift of youth and how dream-like its passage can be. It is a time capsule of childhood’s ephemeral moments well lived and a poignant reminder of the relentless passing of years.

The book’s striking photographs are reproduced using an advanced stochastic half-toning process that preserves amazing detail and tonal subtleties.