In the last years, the Indian government has officially started to acknowledge the service of Ladakhi porters, who originate by and large, from underprivileged families. The image consists of empty frames by a windowsill and was photographed in Phukpochey, a remote village in Ladakh and the hometown of the Ladakhi porter, Stanzin Padma.The void in the frames alludes to a response by Stanzin, towards the certificates of bravery he has received from the government, for his service on the Siachen Glacier.

Stanzin Padma #3 is part of Baptist Coelho’s ongoing multimedia series Stanzin Padma, which follows the life of Stanzin Padma (b. 1988), an award-winning Ladakhi known for his bravery. He was born in Phukpoche, a remote village in the Nubra Valley, 60 kilometres from the Siachen Base Camp, where he still lives with his family. From 2006 to 2014, he worked as a porter on the Siachen Glacier.

Stanzin Padma #1 was first exhibited as part of the artist’s solo exhibition, Body-Automaton at JSLH Art Gallery, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, from 4 – 30 Sep 2019. The exhibtion was curated by Premjish Achari and supported by Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities (JSLH), and Jindal Centre of Visual Arts (JCVA).