In December 2012 the horrific rape and gruesome murder of a young Indian woman on a bus in New Delhi shocked the country and outraged others across the world. The event was heavily documented and the incident caused India to redefine laws against rape and sexual assault.
Mumbai-based fashion photographer Raj Shetye has been the subject of harsh criticism after a photo shoot was seen to glamourise rape culture.
In a photo series titled ‘Wrong Turn’, it appears that Shetye used the brutal attack as inspiration behind an ‘artistic’ fashion shoot.
In an interview with Buzzfeed, Shetye explained that he had the concept to shoot over two years and is satisfied that his work has provoked a discussion on the topic.
“The concept is my baby,” he told the site.
“The aim is to create art that will gather some reaction in society.
“The message I would like to give is that it doesn’t matter who the girl is. It doesn’t depend on which class she belonged in – it can happen to anyone”.
The photographer contested the belief that the images referenced ‘Nirbhaya’ – the Hindi word for “fearless” and a pseudonym given to the victim.
Sheyte stated that the photo series took several months to execute because he did not want the project to be “irresponsible”.
All garments worn by the models in the images are from top names in fashion, however none of designers are credited as the ‘Wrong Turn’ shoot is not for commercial gain.
“On a personal level, too, I got many reactions,” he continued.
“On my Facebook, from my friends. It makes me feel satisfied about my work – at least the work I did is so impactful that I’m able to shed some light on this. I don’t feel happy, but it makes me feel satisfied. That whatever I’ve tried to communicate is being communicated”.
“We stay in a society where rich people roam in cars, and poor people who roam in public transport are in danger.
“It was my intent to mix these two things which are pretty apart from each other and make aesthetically strong images about it”.
The collection of controversial images were originally uploaded to Shetye’s portfolio page on Behance, a site that showcases and discovers creative work, however they have since been removed.
All images via Buzzfeed.
