by Emily Bowers, Contributing Writer
PASS CHRISTIAN (GG) — Despite the “desultory drizzle,” as Dr. Ishrat Syed put it best, on Tuesday, June 16th, 2026, the Pass Christian Library opened its doors to Syed’s photographic exhibit “My Silk Road” for the opening reception and gallery talk, with light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres.
The photographer began with a speech before walking guests through his pieces. He opens, dedicating the night to one of his favorite teachers, Keith Gonzalez, saying, “I owe all of my proficiency in English to him.” Gonzalez had passed away three days ago in India and was laid to rest just three hours before the showing.
Syed then shifts the topic to thanking his partner in this project, Wendy, whom he refers to as an elder sister. Wendy helped him hang his pictures when he couldn’t get up and down the ladder because of his injured knee, despite having had knee surgery recently herself. He said, “Because of her, for this summer, you’ll be seeing these pictures.”
Syed ties all this up with a coincidence, informing his guest that Japan divides its year into 72 micro-seasons that commemorate natural phenomena. With that being said, he explained that on May 22nd and 23rd, the day he and Wendy set up his exhibit, Japan was in its micro-season called Kaiko Okite Kua Ohamu, which lasts from May 21st to the 25th.
During this time, the silkworms are awakening and about to eat mulberry leaves. The photographer calls this an almost perfect coincidence.
For the rest of the evening, viewers were walked through the pieces Syed captured using not only compact cameras but also his iPhone, starting with an image of a magnolia tree he found as a sapling, planted in his backyard, and watched grow for two years.
As Syed and his guests walked through his exhibit, they saw a lifetime of experiences and accomplishments through his lens.
(Photos by Emily Bowers/The Gazebo Gazette)
