Flower Men

Image: Sanju Joshi, with Orange Marigolds. (c) Ken Hermann.

Our latest issue, 94, the Earth Issue is now available to buy. In this issue, we celebrate the soil. On the cover is Sanju Joshi, with orange marigolds, a photograph from Ken Hermann’s book, Flower Men, portraits of flower sellers from the Malik Ghat flower market in Kolkata.

Flowers are a hugely important part of Indian culture, used in everything from temple rituals to festivals and parties – and Malik Ghat flower market is the largest of its kind in India. Located next to the Hooghly river, it attracts more than 2,000 sellers each day, who flock to peddle their blooms amid frantic scenes. After having visited the flower market for the first time, Danish photographer Hermann decided to take portraits of the sellers, "their magnificent garlands often appearing in stark contrast to their own dusty and sweat-soaked attire." Hermann describes his fascination for Malik Ghat in this video:

Inside the magazine, we feature more of Hermann’s images and our features editor, Laura Gray, reviews the book. Here’s an extract: “Flower Men is an exquisite tribute to tradition and a poignant future relic. Hermann describes how he encountered the flower sellers when he was in Kolkata on another assignment to photograph coal workers. On a free day he visited the flower market, finding it to be a beautiful and at the same time very stressful place. Despite the hustle and bustle he was fascinated, and the flower sellers in particular caught his attention. He liked the way they carried their flowers, draping them in such a way that it almost looked as if they were wearing big flower robes. He was also struck by the contrast of sometimes strong and masculine men handling the flowers with so much care.”

Image: Kulwinder, Orange Marigolds. (c) Ken Hermann.

Read the rest of the article in Issue 94. This issue is only available to buy from Selvedge.