IN PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS - BHUTAN

In Pursuit of Happiness is a long term personal photography project which documents modern-day Bhutan. The project showcases the effects globalisation has had on the kingdom, highlighting the juxtaposition between the traditional buddhist way of life and the modern world which the millennial generation are growing up.

In 2015 AJ spent a year living in the last remaining Himalayan kingdom. Often described by western media as the ‘last Shangri-La ‘ or the ‘Happiest Country in the World’, AJ found a young democracy battling many of the same social issues we have come to expect from developing countries all over the world.

The last decade has seen the Kingdom of Bhutan undergo a rapid transition. Transforming from a closed Buddhist Kingdom into a constitutional democracy, the country is now admired worldwide for its uncompromising pursuit of “Gross National Happiness.” However, as Bhutan’s development accelerates, its government and people are engaged in a tireless struggle to simultaneously preserve their traditions and keep the country’s unique identity alive.