‘Oobanken’ — or Greater Coucal — is a type of cuckoo commonly found in South and Southeast Asia. It is known for its solitary nature and unique call, associated with the coming of omens in some parts. The bird lends its name to a new photobook by Jerome Ming, who is the winner of this year’s MACK First Book Award, announced at Photo London Fair last week. Ming’s Oobanken, much like its namesake is distinctive. Made while the photographer was living in Yangon, Myanmar, the book presents an unusual narrative around place, memory and imagination through carefully constructed black and white photographs. From the book, Ming believes that the “viewer might take on an alternative perspective about Myanmar.”
Since its independence in 1947, Myanmar has made headlines frequently for the wrong reasons: brutal clashes between disparate ethnic groups and horrific human rights violations. On account of its recent troubled history, it’s no wonder that Ming presents the Southeast Asian country in an altogether different and unexpected light. Instead, his images are quiet, playful, abstract, zooming in on details and surprising forms. Ming lenses objects and shapes, household things, furniture and fragments of nature in highly arranged scenes. Having taken photographs for nearly 30 years and coming from a photojournalism and documentary photography background originally, Ming says that he wanted to find his own language with this book — “it is an approach which has roots from when I was an art student exploring a correlation between photography, sculpture and performance.” In many of his images, the photograph is the final port of call: “There are things I want to make and do that have the photograph as the outcome, I don’t necessarily see my approach as a photographer making photographs.”
Ming, who was born in London, grew up in Zambia and is currently based in South Africa, tells SLEEK that he thinks that the book works on a “universal level.” He continues, “In this way, it is accessible yet intimate enough to make a personal connection.”
Oobanken by Jerome Ming is available now from MACK.