YOU can "travel" to some countries in the region to catch scenic views of the countries and their peoples through the eyes of an experienced photojournalist, Indian-born Palani Mohan. Mohan will be holding his first solo exhibition in Malaysia entitled "Through the Veil" at Starhill Gallery in Kuala Lumpur from Feb 15 to Mar 31.

Mohan’s photographic career began 20 years ago at the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. Since then, he has been based in London (Britain), Hong Kong, Bangkok (Thailand), and now Malaysia.

Mohan’s work has been featured in many of the world’s leading magazines and newspapers, and he has published two photographic books. The first, Hong Kong Lives — An Intimate Portrait, is a black-and-white reportage-style look at daily life in Hong Kong. The second, Hidden Faces of India, is a collection of nine photographic essays taken from the length and breadth of India. He is currently working on his third book, featuring the subject of Asian elephants.

Mohan is the winner of many international awards and his works hang in the Portrait Gallery of London and are also shown in the prestigious Perpignan photojournalism festival in France.

The images in "Through the Veil" were taken during Mohan’s travels around Asia over recent years, and the title suggests the different cultural veils drawn aside through his lens as he captures intimate moments and quietly reveals the richness of humanity. Fifteen high-quality images, printed on Epson Smooth Fine Art paper, have been selected for the exhibition.

Among the images on display in the exhibition are "The Kiss", showing the image of a peasant woman gently fondled by an elephant trunk. "Last of the Balinese Royals" shows Mohan’s innate fascination with people and their life, while "Through the Veil" aptly shows a gauze-like veil covering a woman’s delicate feature.

"Warmth" is evocative and worth a thousand words, where only the hands and the hearth ‘talks’ to imply the importance of fire in the lives of the villagers concerned.

To Mohan, the aim of his photography is to evoke emotion.

"When you get it right it will reach out, grab your soul and make you feel. It jolts you out of your world and forces you to ask questions," he said.

Apart from viewing the images at the exhibition, the public is invited to attend a free talk by Mohan on his work, scheduled for Feb 25 at 4pm.

Starhilll Gallery is located at 81, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Viewing hours: 10.30am-9pm daily. Free admission. Call 03-2145-2434/ 2430.