Beyond the Conflict: Portraits from the Mountains of Indian-Occupied Kashmir
Indian-administered Kashmir has long been a region of deep political and historical complexity. Since the partition of British India in 1947, Kashmir has remained at the center of a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan, with its people caught between militarization, geopolitical tensions, and an uncertain future. Beyond the headlines, however, lies a world rarely seen—one of resilience, tradition, and survival in some of the most remote mountain landscapes on Earth.
The culture here has been shaped by centuries of trade, migration, and adaptation to both the harsh mountain environment and shifting political realities. Today, the region remains deeply affected by its contested status, with local communities navigating a landscape defined not just by geography, but by military presence, restricted movement, and economic uncertainty.
This project is a series of portraits capturing the faces of those who live in these remote areas. Their expressions reflect more than personal stories—they speak to a broader reality of resilience in a region where the consequences of geopolitics are felt in daily life. In these images, the people of Kashmir exist not as symbols of conflict, but as individuals whose lives continue in the midst of it.
