My name is Cosimo Manlio De Pasquale (I prefer to be called with the second one) from Italy, I am a self made passionate Photographer and Traveller.
I try to give life to all my emotions by telling a place in all his aspects, more than a “documentarist reportage” I use to approach to my shots as an “inner journey” through which you can see a place by my soul more than my eyes.
The passion for photography was born by traveling, for the need to freeze an emotion, to fix it forever and to have the chance to revive it, then matured also in an emotional quest for the daily life, but the journey gives me the opportunity to tell and remember the places through always unknown emotions, because I never know what to expect from a new place, and often some emotions remain connected elsewhere, photography is a way to keep in touch.I achieved many rewards such as one honorable mention in Tokyo international award 2016 (TIFA) and two in 2017, third place (bronze) in Moscow international photo awards in 2016, two honorable mentions at International photographer of the year, three at Monochrome Photography Awards, one at Chromatic awards, two in Fine Art Photography Awards.
The title for this project (… of Faith and Devotion) comes from the great Depeche Mode album “songs of Faith and Devotion”; all these “street photos, or this documentaristic collection of photos) is about the religious aspect, the devotion of Balinese people. I spent many time observing and shooting people in several temples such as Goa Lawah Temple, weel known as “Bat Cave”, Goa Lawah is one of the Bali’s most important temple, it features a complex built around a cave opening that is inhabitated by hordes of bat, and its name translated means “Bat Cave”. Pura Besakih is a temple complex in the village of Besakih, located on the slopes on Mount Agung in the eastern Bali. This temple is the most important, the largest and holiest temple of Balinese Hindu Religion. In 1963 there was a strong and violent eruption of Mount Agung, on that occasion the lava flow was missing a few meters from Pura Besakih Temple (Translated is the Mother Temple, Pure in Balinese means Temple”) an event that was considered miraculous by the Balinese Hindu people, in the fact in all the Island this is absolute the main Temple.The most of the photos is made in Pura Tirta Empul, the water temple. The temple compound consists of a petirtaan or bathing structure in wich the water in this place cames from a spring believed holy, Balinese hindus immerge themselves in these water for rituals of soul’s purification.
Water plays a viral role in Balinese life, for the Balinese Holy Water initiates and completes every ceremony, The tirtha used for ceremony and offerings has either been infused with prayers from a Pedanda, (high priest) received the vibrations of a God or Goddess from a particular shrine, brought from a sacred place in conjunction with a special ceremony, or obtained from the sea, mountain or sacred spring. The Balinese feel that tirtha is the doorway to the adoration of God: Unless an offering, ceremony or person has been purified by tirtha, they are not able to receive God’s blessing.The Pedana are in charge of shape-shifting plain water into holy water. They know the exact mantras (sounds) and mudras (hand movement) to imprint the water with a specific purtpose. The Pemangku priests take the tirtha to the temple, processions and festivities to sprinkle in on the offerings and worshipers. Tirtha is sprinkled three times to clease negative energie held in the body, heart and mind.
