Photographing on the Network: An Interview with Abdul Halik Azeez

Abdul Halik Azeez is an independent researcher and artist based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, who works primarily with the medium of photography and videography as well as zines. He is also a part of the artists’ collective The Packet, which takes an experimental approach to artistic collaborations and publications. Azeez describes his process as one of “consistently creating unconsciously”, especially through his presence and intervention on image based social media platforms. His Instagram account “colombedouin” can be described as a collection of hyperlocal symbols from specific landscapes—such as Sri Lankan post war politics, vernacular street language and graffiti as well as digital cultures and South Asian urban life in general. Azeez’s photographs present microscopic glimpses into the built environment of Colombo that subvert or point to dominant socio-political narratives of nationalism, globalisation and capitalism. 

In this conversation, we delve into Azeez’s early engagement with the platform where he was a part of a community of photographers in Colombo, connected through the platform. He highlights the transition of the image sharing network from one being open to experimental photographic practice, to the more commercialised and personality-centric space it presents itself as today. Opening up about his practice of making images using a mobile phone camera, we also discuss digital photography as a mode of engagement with one’s environment through a constant process of capturing as well as sharing ephemeral moments from personal and public life.

^{[Featured Image: Still from Circumambulation. Single channel video, duration 28:53. Abdul Halik Azeez. Courtesy of the artist.]}