Pictures in My Hand of a Boy I Still Resemble

It was 1986. I had arrived in California to pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering. From then till 2013, when I finally moved back to India, I photographed as much as I could afford to. Now I have ten trunks which are full of negatives to show for it. This book derives itself from the first few years of photographs from this personal archive.

The idea of documenting my friends and our experiences was instinctive, like an urgent need to satisfy a desire. This became a sort of collaboration—an intimate performance. This tale of youth is anchored on relationships with the people who accompanied me as friends and lovers. This community of friends has evolved, from old to new and newer even, and throughout the adventures, some of which were turbulent, we’ve remained friends—even after thirty years.

— Srinivas Kuruganti