Mullick Ghat, India's largest flower market, stretches along the banks of the Hooghly River and through a tunnel just under the impressive Howrah Bridge in Kolkata, West Bengal. More than 2,000 sellers take turns from dawn to dusk in this wholesale market that never seems to close. And for good reason, some Indians live there, often with family. They are born, grow, mate, work, sleep, die in this large tunnel filled with brightly colored flowers. Frames, posters, clocks hung on the walls, shelves, kitchen utensils, mattresses, curtains for a little privacy, like in a real house. All the shots were taken based on the light at the tunnel entrance, which allows life inside. The tunnel is their home. Light is life.
Author biography
A physician by profession, Catherine Le Scolan-Quéré
lives and works in Rennes, France. She has been
practicing street photography for twelve years. From
2011 to 2024, she made seven trips to India, the first as
a volunteer doctor. She has photographed street life in
India, Europe, New York, and Arab countries, notably
Gaza, where she went to treat patients in late 2024.
Today, she is a member of several international street
photography collectives.
Her photographic style varies according to the country
and culture. The masters of composition, light, and color
who inspire her are Harry Gruyaert, Alex Webb, and
Nikos Economopoulos. Drawn to aesthetics, she seeks
to reveal the power of each image. When the nuances
harmonize, the masses of color are balanced, and the
light is present, she feels the emotion and presses the
shutter. It captures a moment in life, where humans
become one with their surroundings.
The series "Home among the flowers" was selected by
Harry Gruyaert, photographer (Magnum) and jury
member of the 2025 edition of the BSPF (Brussels Street
Photography Festival