With some world’s most beautiful mountain valleys, the mythic state of Kashmir has become synonymous with a political and sectarian conflicts which strike at the heart of India’s identity. Delhi-based Sikka's attempt to make some sense of this troubled region range from images of objects, animals and abandoned buildings and revolve around portraits of young men – shot alone in an unspoiled landscape seemingly oblivious of national borders and political rivalries. Sikka's project is a meditation on the rich, green landscape and those who have lived and struggled within it.

After a comprehensive revision of Sikka's rich, photographs of the area, we stripped this book and it's edit back to a raw essence, with warm paper stock and endpapers made of 50% sun-dried grass. The raw fabric cover frays and unravels over time, suggesting the hidden changes in the timeless valleys, while a near-black tip-on shows one star shining at night, a timeless gaze into the lonely cosmos.

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