By one of these enjoyable life happenchance’s, I stumbled upon a wonderful photo exhibition in the corridors of the Amsterdam Medisch Centrum, a place that could easily be overlooked when going about your medical appointment. This time around, it is an old employee who was given the opportunity to present his incredible work. Iskandar Kley was working in the High Care department when he participated in the Creative Employee program. His life changed when he encountered a 1946 photograph by W. Eugene Smith “The Walk to Paradise Garden” depicting his two children, Patrick and Juanita, getting out of the darkness of a shaded area into the light of a garden. This image left such a strong impression on him, that he was influenced in his own photography ever since he first purchased a camera in 1977. The result is stunning, strong contrasts of dark and light, Dantean architecture, people in the streets in Japan, The Netherlands, Turkey or Paris, to mention but a few parts of the world where he took pictures. Amsterdam Medisch Centrum acknowledged and recognized his talent by exhibiting his work, just before his departure as an employee, under the title “not everything is so black or white”, giving a hint to the viewer that not everything can be easily categorized as right or wrong, good or bad. There are often shades of gray and complexities in various situations, requiring a more nuanced understanding and consideration. The photos of Kley invite the reflection about these nuances.
