Ibrahim Ahmed, also known as 'Kashmirwala', uses his camera as a tool to initiate conversations with communities.
Inspired by the stories of his great grandfather Faisal Kashmirwala, a travel pioneer in the 1940s, Ibrahim seeks to connect people. Instead of creating work based on reflection of an experience, he orchestrates opportunities to have new adventures and throws himself into them, allowing the art to evolve as a direct consequence.
Starting out in the commercial world as a music video director, Ibrahim began creating aspirational images for independent artists. Due to the low-budget nature of the jobs, he relied heavily on the skills of his Director of Photography (DOP). However, he never really felt the moment was his own while someone else was holding the lens. This desire to become more involved with his subjects drove him towards documentary filmmaking.
Driven by the goal of amplifying the voices of the unheard, his filmmaking tends to revolve around characters who narrate their own stories, conveying their struggles, hopes, and beliefs. Through this prism, he seeks self-discovery and empathic understanding.
Ibrahim's interest lies in understanding the journeys of individuals and their connections to the world around them. This pursuit stems from his desire to reconcile his Muslim upbringing with his Mexican Catholic family, as he aims to resolve the internal dichotomy within himself. His latest project endeavours to unite these contrasting aspects, taking him one step closer to achieving a sense of wholeness.
Though the output of his work may exist in photographic, film, or book form, for Ibrahim; ‘people’ are his medium. And he views his work as a train of thought that ties these momentary adventures together.