| Title | Māyā-bheda |
| Subtitle | Kolkata during Durga Puja |
| Artist / Creator | Sammy Lee |
| Press Name | studio SML | k |
| Artist's Nationality | United States |
| Place of Publication | Denver, Colorado |
| Publication Date | 2016 |
| Contributors | Joshua Bergeron |
| Process / Technique | Digital print, archival inkjet printing |
| Structure / Binding | Sculptural box camera contains codex and scroll |
| Medium / Materials | Kodak film spools, board, leather, tassels, lens filter, Tyvek, bookcloth, magnetic closure |
| Paper Stock | Asuka photographic paper |
| Number of Pages | 66 pages |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 5.25 x 7.5 x 5.5 inches closed. |
| Edition Size | Edition of 30 |
| Signed & Numbered | Signed and numbered edition |
Māyā-bheda is a second collaboration on India with photographer Joshua Bergeron. The images were taken in 2015, during the Bengali holiday of Durga Puja, in Kolkata. Using a combination of images from an iPhone and a conventional camera, images were captured candidly within the documentary and street photography genre. The construction of the case and interior components are based upon the design of the Kodak camera released in 1888, by George Eastman, which brought portable photography to the masses. In Hinduism, the term Māyā-bheda refers to the destruction of perceived reality. The book serves as a vehicle to examine the assumptions and perceived realities of India for both collaborators. The cameras used for images and the graduated orange lens on the outer shell of the book explores the notions of how India is interpreted by optical tools. For viewers, the interactive viewing experience of the book will offer a chance to examine their own perceived realities of India.
Artist Bio
Sammy Seung-min Lee is a book artist and proprietor of Studio SML | k in Denver, Colorado. Sammy incorporates her diverse studies in fine art, design and architecture to push the boundaries of her books by investigating and experimenting with spatial, narrative, and sequential qualities. She studied bookbinding under master bookbinder and book artist, Daniel Kelm in Easthampton, Massachusetts.