Chinese fotografie is een complex onderwerp. Een turbulente historie, uiteenlopende trends en fotografen die niet samen willen werken. Wij spraken drie belangrijke spelers in de Chinese fotografiewereld en pijlden de stemming. Er is genoeg hoop, maar even zoveel kritiek. Heden en toekomst van Chinese fotografie in een notendop.
While celebrating its centennial two years ago, American photographer Elliot Ross decided to visit the far-flung community of Coober Pedy. In the ‘Opal Capitol of the World’ he photographed not only the mines and subterranean houses, but more importantly the extraordinary people inhabiting this small town in the Outback.
The refugee crisis across Europe makes headlines, but it’s the people of Western Sahara who have been experiencing a refugee crisis for over 40 years. Last November was the 40th anniversary of Morocco’s invasion of Western Sahara, which forced thousands of refugees into the Algerian desert. They're still there today, living in refugee camps, dependent on international aid. Over there, it’s the Saharawari women who play a fundamental role in their matriarchal society.
Silvershotz is a contemporary photography portfolio magazine showcasing the best photographic images from around the world. Immerse yourself in beautiful images, themed and conceptual work to inspire you, plus in-depth engaging articles and videos. There is no advertising – just images.
For Fotofever (Paris, November 2014) Silvershotz made a special experience featuring 11 international photographers selected from more than one hundred galleries exhibiting there. Next to that, we publish images from a dozen selected category finalists from the Kontinent Awards.
Silvershotz Fotofever from Silvershotz on Vimeo.
African photography is on the rise. Following decades of photographic misrepresentation by observers from outside the continent, African photographers are now showing the world what they see through their lens. This is Africa spotlights them in a series of interviews.
Somewhere in 2001, Andrew Eseibo was asked by a friend what he wanted as a gift. “A camera”, he replied. And so Eseibo (1978) got a camera and started to teach himself to be a photographer. Before he was never encouraged to follow his artistic dream, because growing up photography was not considered a profession in his home country of Nigeria. “But quickly I got stuck, because the once that did earn money with it, did so by doing commercial work; weddings, portraits and such. That didn’t really inspire me, so I started browsing the internet to get in touch with foreign photographers and look at photography books to get inspired.”
Nigeria on his mind
Born and living in Lagos, he started chronicling the rapid development of urban Nigeria as well as the country’s rich culture and heritage in Nigeria’s largest city Ibadan. Eseibo is primarily concerned with the lives of ordinary Africans, which shows in the subjects of his series. “I’m interested in simple things that happen around me. That’s why for a series like ‘Pool Betting’ I photographed the trend of football pool betting amongst older men, for ‘God is Alive’ I record religious spaces spread throughout the country to demonstrate how Nigerians express their own brand of praise and in ‘Nigeria on My Mind’ I bundle our cultural heritage, ethnic diversity and geographic beauty of my country”. Some of his other work includes capturing the bustling night life of Lagos and the associated bouncers, the appropriating of football in unconventional environments in his country and the story of Sunny Omini, an ex-football star turned missionary.
Heavy subjects
But there are also more serious subjects that capture Eseibo’s eye, like he shows with his series ‘Living Positive’: “I followed the black, female lesbian with HIV Thoko Ngubeni, who has to fight all kinds of discrimination and stigmatization. Rejected by her family and friend and at one point on the verge of death, she now managed to turn her life around. In an untitled, on-going portrait series I photograph resilient African gays to challenge the stereotypical representation of LGBTQ’s in African cultures.” After gaining international recognition over the past decade, Eseibo also started exploring new creative territories and integrating multimedia, like for his series ‘Barbara Encounter’ about a Zambian sex worker and ‘Living Queer African’, about a homosexuals student from Cameroon trying to make a new life for himself in France.
Barbershops
His latest work however concerns a lighter subject again: barbershops. For ‘Pride’ he traveled through seven African countries, mainly focussing on cities, portraying urban aesthetics, hairstyles, nuances and the people that make all of that possible, barbers. “They were actually surprised that it was a fellow African portraying them, not an American or European. Everybody here knows about it, but nobody took the time to go deeper into the social function of them. It was the first time an African did it, but the barbers understood the importance of the project and said they would go the extra mile to support me.” Eseibo points out that many other photographers pass by on these subjects, especially if they come from ‘outside’ and don’t know what’s going on in the society. “Until now, the story of our continent has been told by non-Africans. For example, every time they come to Lagos, they want to go the slums. Why not expand? Now that we have the tools and skills, I feel responsible to fill in that gap.”
World Cup
In 2010 Eseibo was selected for the Road to Twenty Ten project to form an all-African dream team of 16 journalists and photographers to provide alternative stories from the World Cup in South Africa. Before that he did a number of artistic residencies in Paris, London and South Korea. He is also the initiator and co-organizer of ‘My Eye, My World’, a participatory photography workshop for socially-excluded children in Nigeria, and a member of the Lagos-based photography collective BlackBox. His work has been exhibited all over the world and published in books, magazines and websites.
Read the original article on This is Africa
With photographic series about scarified people in Abidjan, the legacy of mines in South Africa and the initiation ritual of the Ekonda pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo the winners of this years POPCAP award show the African continent from a new perspective. The prize for contemporary African photography was held for the third time and sees it’s submissions growing each year.
“The way we define it, the POPCAP prize is awarded to photographic portfolios, either produced in an African country or deal with a diaspore of an African country”, explains organizer Benjamin Füglister from piclet.org. “Otherwise how do you classify an ‘African photographer’?”, he asks himself. “We aim of course to discover talent that lives in Africa and until now we managed to do so, but the competition attracted 720 submissions from 88 countries this year – 24 of whom were from African countries.” Quite an increase compared to 140 submissions in 2012 and 360 in 2013, from just 57 countries. “We keep on growing and want to do so in a healthy and controllable way. Therefore we will operate in more languages than just English in the future and work together with libraries and social organizations to have photographers make use of their computers and internet to upload their work.”
Major international photograph exhibitions
The non-profit initiative aims to furthering engagement with the African continent within the photographic community and offers photographers the opportunity to receive international recognition and exposure to big-name personalities in the art world. According to Benjamin this is necessary in order to survive in the world of photography. “Therefore we want to link the winners to international events and introduce them to curators and museums. Their work will be exhibited at 7 major international photography exhibitions in Africa and Europe like an open air show in Basel, Switzerland, PhotoIreland Festival in Dublin, the Cape Town Month of Photography in South Africa, LagosPhoto Festival in Nigeria, Addis FotoFest in Ethiopia.” Next to that they also get a publication in the European Photography Magazine.
Jürg Schneider
With a price that could possible launch a career, the winners have to be chosen carefully. Therefore POPCAP has a panel of 24 internationally-sourced judges who choose the five best submissions, which must consist of a minimum of ten images, but not exceed 25. One of them is Jürg Schneider, historian from Basel, Switzerland and co-founder of the African Photography Initiative. “I think the organization thought is was a good idea to have a historian in the jury”, he laughs. “I can compare the photographs in a more vertical way, instead of horizontal. But in general I’m also just very interested in contemporary African photography, so that’s a good combination.” For him it was the series of Patrick Willocq that was especially interesting. ‘I am Walé Respect Me’ tells the story of the initiation ritual of the Ekonda pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Ekondas believe that the most important moment in the life of a woman is the birth of her first child. This series is a personal reflection of women in general and the Walé ritual specifically. “His work can be compared to ethnographic photography from a century ago, but in a contemporary way. The pygmies didn’t get pushed around by him, but they work together – that’s a big difference.” Regarding the work of Joana Choumali and Ilan Godfrey, Jürg is fascinated by the link between past and present on the African continent. “They manage to show the difference, the tension and the coming changes”, he explains. Benjamin agrees with him and says that the jury looks at the quality of the work on all fronts, as a whole. “For example the work of Joana Choumali; the subject might not be the most original one, but it’s technically good and she researches her own identity with it.”
Aida Muluneh
Another member of the jury, Aida Muluneh, artist and director of Addis FotoFest in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia agrees with Jürg when considering the work of this years photographers. “Overall, the submitting photographers had strong work. I was my second time as a jury member and the only critic I have is that I would have liked to see more submission from photographers from the continent itself. Because they come from a different cultural backgrounds they see their own community differently and that subsequently impacts their photography”, Aida says. POPCAP only had one submissions from Burkina Faso this year, while other countries – namely Nigeria and South Africa – were much better represented. According to Aida that’s too blame on the fact that there is a lack of adequate training that teaches African photographers to become part of the international photography market. “Photography in Africa is growing in the sense that new publications are coming out featuring work by photographers from the continent, while also various festivals are sprouting and new talents are being featured in the various galleries abroad. Yet as I mentioned, we don’t have adequate institutions that support photography education and without education we will continue to face the challenges of not having quality work that is competitive with the international photo scene.” Benjamin adds: “There are no art schools, courses or anything related to photography in most African countries. This needs to change, because without a market – or a very small one – there is no chance for these photographers to show their work to the outside world.” Also Jürg shares that opinion, stating that there might be more galleries, shows and curators promoting photography, but it’s still very marginal. “Photography is still not a collectable item for many Africans. How many art museums are there in Africa and do they focus on photography? The answer is no. I asked somebody from Stevenson Gallery in Cape Town if they thought the photography market was growing on the continent and he didn’t think so either. So we agreed; the market is in the west.” Therefore they all think POPCAP is of such importance, giving upcoming photographers concerned with the African continent a podium. “To build a big community around photography”, replies Benjamin.
Joana Choumali
One of the above mentioned winners, Joana Choumali (1974) from Ibidjan in Ivory Coast, is therefore very content being one of the winners of this years POPCAP. “It means a lot to me because it’s a good opportunity to get my work seen internationally, but above all it’s an honor. It has been a rewarding experience from an artistic and human point of view. Winning this price motivates me for the future and assures me in the idea that the track I have chosen is the right one.” In her winning series ‘Hââbré, The Last Generation, shot in 2013-2014, she presents portraits of the ‘last generation’ of scarified people in Abidjan. The series questions identity in a contemporary Africa torn between its past and present. “In the Kô language of Burkina Faso the word Hââbré means both writing and scarification. Scarification is the practice of performing a superficial incision on human skin. This practice is disappearing due to pressure from religious and state authorities, changing urban practices and the introduction of clothing within tribes. Nowadays only the older people have scarifications. While conducting my research, the majority of images I could find were from the beginning of the 20th century, and only a few contemporary images. I also had trouble finding scarified people to photograph because of their rarity.” She had the feeling this subjects speaks to everybody, even if it depicted from an African point of view. Joana considers it a universal subject and started the series to testify, not forget and ask questions about the contemporary African identity.
Ilan Godfrey
Another one of the winners, Ilan Godfrey (1980) from Cape Town, South Africa, also went looking for explanations to the struggle for identity in his own country, but approached this from a whole different perspective. With ‘Legacy of the Mine’ (2011–2013) he took a closer look at ‘the mine’ – irrespective of the particular minerals extracted – playing a central role in understanding societal change across South Africa. “This is comparable to mining concerns around the world”, he explains. “ “I wanted to bring the countless stories of personal suffering to the surface and reveal the legacy of ‘the mine’. For more than a century, South Africa’s demand for gold, diamonds, coal and platinum has gone from strength to strength, often shifting in accordance with the political economy and the availability of foreign markets. Mineral exploitation by means of cheap and disposable labour has brought national economic growth, making the mining industry the largest industrial sector in South Africa. I wanted to create a visual representations that gave agency to these forgotten communities working around these mines and display public health crises within local communities unequipped to cope with the burden of air, land and water pollution, focussing on the disruptive influence of historical labour exploitation impacting on familial structures and cultural positioning.”
Subjects
“We’re not looking for images of violence and poverty, because that image has been shown enough already. We’re not on a mission, but do want to show our audience that Africa has a different side. Yet we’re also not looking for documentary photography per se, even though three of the projects that won fit in that category, but we’re definitely not looking for art photography”, explains Benjamin. “It’s not even possible to determine a specific style from a country. We had a few projects about AIDS, about homosexuality and gender issues, but the rest was concerning other subjects.”
Like the series of Belgium-Congolese photographer Léonard Pongo (1988), titled ‘The Uncanny’ (2011–2013). He was surprised to be selected and actually won, especially because of the size of the jury who has to reach a unanimous decision. “It didn’t think it would fit within their scope, but apparently it did”, he laughs. “It’s a documentary project that has been conducted in Democratic Republic of Congo since the political elections held in Autumn 2011. I aim to show the collateral impact on the daily life instead of the direct hits. It’s been carried out by accompanying family members, political personalities, religious leaders and local TV in order to document the events that rhythm the lives of the country‘s inhabitants and try to understand Congolese society and recover part of my own identity. My need to see my country from a different point of view than the so often depicted crises, combined with the openness of people to share their most intimate moments with me and my willingness to be accepted as part of their lives, allowed me to depict my country intimately and subjectively, not trying to deliver a truth, but striving to understand people‘s realities and to reconstruct my own.”
Photographic representation
“The winners get a public through POPCAP, which is perhaps not a necessity, but it’s an advantage for all parties involved. Also for the viewer, because they see an Africa that is way more happy, more real”, says Jürg. “For a very long time there has been an unbalanced view of the African continent, today – and with the help of this prize – that view gets more balanced and African photographers take their representation in their own hands”
“There is no photographic consciousness on the continent yet, that is something to be developed over the next two decades. That will lead to a better visual representation of Africa.”, ends Benjamin. Aida: “Photography is full of limitless possibilities and as you know image is power. We have to be able to represent our stories to create a balance on what is already out there which at times doesn’t offer the full picture of the complexities of Africa.”
Read the original article on Africanah
African photography is on the rise. Following decades of photographic misrepresentation by observers from outside the continent, African photographers are now showing the world what they see through their lens. This is Africa spotlights them in a series of interviews.
Predestination, our fate and ultimate destination, those are some of the subjects that keep going through Nigerian photographer Adeola Olagunju’s head. “How does our head determine where our feet go?”, she asked herself philosophically when working on one of her most recent series, called Paths & Patterns. “The route we chose gets determined by aspects like our tradition, family and society. But it’s our feet that take us everywhere and show the memories of these trips in their color, wrinkles, scars and spots.” She consciously began to keenly observe the feet of people she met and shared experiences with. Amazed to perceive what our bodies communicate without our knowledge, she decided to photograph them.
Image creation
For Olagunju photography is simply a means to an end; a viable medium of expression that helps her promulgate the essence of her artistic ideas. She doesn’t merely shoot what she sees or registers a certain event, but tries to express what she sees as her own truth. “Art is fluid and I therefore affiliate more with the description of artist than being tagged as photographer. The process before and after shooting an image is just as important as the actual moment I capture it. My content emanates from within when I consciously engage in the process of image creation. I believe this enables me to recognize and acknowledge my image when I see it.” She wants to keep her work open for the audience’s perception, not imposing her own expression or emphasizing on something specific that she expects the people to see.
Resurgence
Take another series of Olagunju for example: Evolve. In this she stars herself, using her body and personal experiences to create poetic images. “It’s a highly introspective and experimental project, something very close to me”, she explains. “Just like my other series, Resurgence, I which I also use self portraits. It’s a manifesto of photographic performances which showcase the unacceptability and high level of socio-religion and political decadence in Africa. It’s what I consider the reality of Nigeria and the African continent at large.” This series reflects her forthrightness and crusade for resurgence from mental shackles. It focusses on the quest for reawakening and awareness of our sense of identity that is – according to Olagunju – is being threatened and likewise paying attention to the form and signs of possible resistance. “We find ourselves in a world that takes its cue from negative and dark ideas, which spreads like a virus ultimately becoming a strand hold for oppression and slavery. Resurgence forms a subtle presentation of still performances that questions and provokes thoughts.”
Improvement
Although Lagos resident Olagunju – who has a degree in Fine and Applied Arts from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology – is critical, she does see an undeniable development in photography in her country. She thinks it’s even more of a commercial success than other arts. “I strongly think the art of photography needs more growth and strength in both content and language though. The limitation I see is the inability of local photographers to evolve from a certain genre to explore other possibilities.” Because this, she believes, will help break new vistas and improve the quality and diversity of photography in Nigeria.
Read the original article on This is Africa
Africa is on a quest to reclaim the continent from over 100 years of photographic misrepresentation by outside observers. Local photographers are looking for a balance in a continent portrayed by it’s extremes. Charles Okereke is one of them and just like professor James Michira has an outspoken opinion about a case close to his heart.
“Let me start of by saying that most photographic series, reports or documentaries about Africa are in fact not truthful or presenting clear-cut facts. No, they are either captured in a sensational way or depictions of partial, one-sided half-truths with a mostly political aim. It’s these misrepresentations as barometers that form the basis for subsequent viewpoints which situations were weighed upon.” Nigerian photographer Charles Okereke could write a whole essay about how his country and continent have been misrepresented by outside observers of the past century. “These barometers have deeply dug their talons into the fabric of our nation as notions which have become rigidly accepted. There is no objective photographic examination which could call forth a fresher regeneration of a true concept of our continent.”
Challenges
Of course the experiences of foreign photographers is not at all the same as their African counterparts. To be situated in one’s own country is to be grounded in all happenings, being able to give a firsthand report and understand the issues that otherwise come as a second, third or fourth hand report. This situation is slowly shifting as many foreign photographers now settle in the continent, but that wasn’t the case over the past decade. They would encounter obstacles and barriers – which Charles rather called ‘challenges’ – of which it is unavoidable that they would sometime be considered man-made either through ‘ignorance’ or ‘certain sentiments which may seem to be one-sidedly tribalistic in certain respects’, as Charles explains. “These festoons of colonial indoctrination still have their roots deeply embedded in the strata of our modern day society.”
Western image
In James Michira’s 2002 paper ‘Images of Africa in the Western Media’ he provides a crude seven point summary of the western image of Africa:
Africa as homogenous entity;
‘The dark continent’;
‘The wild jungle’;
Hunger, famine and starvation;
Endemic violence, conflict and civil war;
Political instability, flagrant corruption and incompetent leadership;
HIV/AIDS.
Reason for this portrayal can be traced back by the general lack of knowledge about the continent, the fact that most never visited and the most important factor: photographic misrepresentation. “They possess these images courtesy of the Western media through it’s (mis)representation of Africa”, writes James. “The African continent is depicted as ‘dependent, crisis driven’: hopeless or pitiable. Without exception, the images have been negative and then sensationalize the ‘dark’ side of Africa. Ever since colonial times, such images of Africa have persisted in the West and they still permeate the perspectives taken by the powerful Western media”, explains James. Photography plays a big role is this, painting a biased, subjective presentation of inaccurate, fallacious images of propaganda about the continent.
Starvation in the jungle
As an example of Africa as the ‘Wild Jungle’, James asks the question when a drought that threatens millions of lives become news that fits the front page of The New York Times? The answer: When animals die. “In 1992, the New York Times, while covering the drought and starvation that ravaged multiple Southern African countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and South Africa, published five substantial stories in eight days. Three of the stories were very prominently displayed and they were about the elephants, the rhino and other endangered species while the other two shorter ones appearing deep in the inside pages were on the African people themselves.” Next to that is the fact that most Western media for years only published images of Africa featuring famine and starvation, therefore being the once the permeated the most consistent and persistent. Moving images of poor, emaciated and malnourished children who sorrily look stare into the camera. No matter which country they’re from, they tell the same story – no distinction in Africa as a homogenous entity.
Savages
When not covering misery, photographers focussed on various forms of violence “ranging from “tribal” clashes, armed conflicts, and civil wars to genocide”. Those images have a high premium in Western media and usually make the headlines. James: “While it may be difficult to achieve total objectivity in photography, it is not lost to many observers that reports in the Western media about war and conflicts in Africa are often crisis-driven in such a way as to imply that Africans are naturally savage, warlike, violent and steeped in primordial tribal feuds.” Just add a portion of political instability to that mix and photograph a few corrupt dictators, coups and military rulers to paint a completely disturbed image.
Factors
Is there a simple reason why this photographic misrepresentation has been going on for so long? “Misinformation about Africa has become a growth industry in the West”, Ama Biney, a lecturer in West African studies at Middlesex University and Birkbeck College, University of London in the United Kingdom, says. But why? “Commercialization, monopolies, foreign policy and schools”, James adds. In case of the first it’s because media corporations need to make profit for their shareholders, therefore commercializing the portrayal of Africa. Images of starving babies sell, just like violence and despair; not quality, professional, objective and balanced reporting. The second reason is explained by the fact that Western corporate giants own media outlets, read: what is photographed in Africa. They determine about what is being reported. By ‘foreign policy’ is meant ‘western interests’ in Africa. Minear, Scott and Rienner put it like this in their book ‘The News Media, Civil War and Humanitarian Action’: “Pictures of starving children, not policy objectives, got us (the United States) into Somalia in 1992. Pictures of US casualties, not the completion of our objectives, led us to exit Somalia.” James adds: “When terrorists attacked Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, the US and Western media in general gave it abundant coverage because US ‘interests abroad’ were targeted.” Last but not least, schools, because, so explains James “Unlike the average African high school student who studies not just African but European history, American history, among other world histories, the average American student either is not exposed to the history and geography of Africa or is exposed to materials that contain inaccurate information.”
Proper representation
According to Charles the limitation is the lack of broadening points and opportunities not created, which could have expanded the photographic scope. “It is noteworthy that in our environment many of the basic instruments of photography have been highly neglected, especially when it comes to representing our own continent. These are relegated as been unimportant or not viable commercially, but should be the guard which as complementary factors adds to a nation’s development and her presentation of visual history. There is an urgent need for the development of these aspects if Africa is to achieve a proper and fair photographic representation of itself.”
For James it doesn’t matter if the photographic misrepresentation of the African continent is a result of biased, unbalanced and subjective reporting, or is a consequence of a new way of perceiving reality where few corporate giants are creating commercialized representations of the continent in order to maintain their own businesses and ideological agendas. “The issue here, it seems, is that these representations are always focused on the negative, the awkward, the weird and the absurd, the wild and the exotic. The fact remains, however, that these images are not all that Africa is about and, moreover, some of those images are not unique to Africa.”
Both agree that all effort must be undertaken to change these misrepresentations however. Photographers need to uphold the professional ethics of journalism that call for the highest possible level of objectivity, neutrality and balance in reporting, “even as they operate in the cut-throat atmosphere of Western competitive media.” And there is a chance for African photographers to show a different continent as well. Not depending on Western media, but to establish their own outlets. This way they can show their own image, or in the words of Patrice Lumumba: “Africa will write its own history, and it will be a history of glory and dignity.”
Read the original article on The is Africa
African photography is on the rise. Following decades of photographic misrepresentation by observers from outside the continent, African photographers are now showing the world what they see through their lens. This is Africa spotlights them in a series of interviews.
![4.Red alert [2009]](http://jorritdijkstra.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/4.Red-alert-2009.jpg)
“I have always recognized photography as a means of evoking a powerful language which words cannot convey. I’m therefore interested in the medium as a form of self-expression.” Nigerian photographer and multimedia artist Charles Okereke moved to the capital of his home country right after his graduation from the University of Port-Harcourt just for that reason. “Lagos is recognized as the active, artistic and creative hub of Nigeria”, he explains. “I actually didn’t want to concern myself with reportage or documentary photography, but had a deep sense of the state of the environment in a mega city like Lagos and felt that I had the responsibility to use photography in a constructive way to make a positive contribution.” Until this day that’s what Charles is concerned with: creative conscious images that avoid the cliché of environmental photography that elevate the concerns to a dimension which is too ‘artistic’ in it’s representation. “So I opted for a use of metaphors as a personal way of expression.”
![Black Star [2009]](http://jorritdijkstra.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Black-Star-2009.jpg)
![Evil Signs [2011]](http://jorritdijkstra.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Evil-Signs-2011.jpg)
Making impact
It wasn’t an easy step for Charles though. He studied visual arts – majored in sculpturing – and his internship with a publication company gave him the opportunity to work in a darkroom in which he developed a sense for well-defined images. “Which complement a quality print publication and can be used as a veritable tool for mass awareness and information dissemination. Together with a few colleagues, among which Uche James Iroha, we started using photography in a different context by using our own bodies as subjects while exploring the technicalities of analogue photography.” Right after his graduation however, he ventured into designing metal, wood and fiberglass sculptures and furniture, but although economically lucrative, it did not challenge his creative input. “Hence my move to Lagos.” In this city he aims to identify himself as a Nigerian artist with one purpose: to make an impact on society using photography as a circular platform. Motivated by the consciousness of the needs of his environment and the responsibility to the overall development of his country.
![Merged [2011]](http://jorritdijkstra.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Merged-2011.jpg)
Collective responsibility
Charles does not believe in the notion of representing his continent and country in a derogatory fashion, because life for him is about beauty. Even though it’s a hard environment to live and work in – “what is easily achieved in more developed countries can take years to accomplish in Africa, especially Nigeria” – he wants to transpose how outsiders view his country. “This is not an individual effort, but a collective responsibility. We have to create awareness, because there’s a lot of unconsciousness among the majority of people. I would like my work to be seen as an expression for a valid and candid representation of my country and Africa as a whole.”
There are a lot of colleagues that Charles admires for already doing so, like Uche Okpa Iroha with his Nlele Institute, Uche James Iroha with Photo Garage and Emeka Okereke’s Invisible Borders. He also mentions Photofest from Aida Munuleh as pushing the frontiers of photography, Ananias Leki Dago and Senegals Koyo Kouoh Raw Material Company for promoting emerging artists.
![Paradise Utopia [2011]](http://jorritdijkstra.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Paradise-Utopia-2011.jpg)
Collective responsibility
Within this representation however, Charles does not back away from critiquing it’s own leaders and the west. According to him Africa has been the dump site for foreign waste; multinationals committing atrocities and destroying the productivity of a continent in which this far exceeds it’s consumption. “This creates ripple consequences which could be termed socio-political in their effect. Just like saying there is a rising economy in our continent when infrastructure and basic necessities haven’t even been provided to the majority yet. It’s a misrepresentation, a falsehood peddled by capitalists seeking investors to create a false hope in the place of despair. Rather, saying there is a rising economy is a delusion and for me as a photographer issues that I aim to expunge.” Using photography as a platform Charles also wants to seek conscientious leadership amongst the youth, because that has been the bane for the new generation of Nigerians. Together with other arts, photography has shown to be the only activity that has raised the standard and value of contemporary youths in the country and luckily there had been a fast acceptance of the media. “Yet more effort is needed in a thorough and proper education of the use of it as a veritable tool in appropriating and disseminating factual information which does not distort reality.”
Stimulating
“With my photography I try to create awareness by elevating the mundane, the ordinary and the discarded from the common place to a valuable state which thereby incites a discourse. Shooting the usual with an unusual approach which defamiliarizes the known to an artistic level which in its duality instructs and at the same time enchants.” The future for Charles is now and now is the time to create this future. For this reason he started the Alexander Academy of Art, Design and Alternative Methods, training young, talented Nigerians and other Africans in arts-related subjects and design. “They are the future and guiding them encourages me to put more effort in realizing my own objectives as well.”
Read the original article on This is Africa
African photography is on the rise. Following decades of photographic misrepresentation by observers from outside the continent, African photographers are now showing the world what they see through their lens. This is Africa spotlights them in a series of interviews.
‚I owe it to my country to showcase it in the best way possible. Luckily Tanzania is gradually being shown in a more positive way to the outside world, because we suffered from years of photographic misrepresentation.’ Strong language from Abeid Kumkichwa, the photographer, graphic designer and co-founder (together with Abdulrahman Abdulrasool) of Kumkichwa Art Gallery from Dar Es Salaam. He aims to show the through beauty that exists all around him by engaging with the environment. ‚I have an eye for beauty in it’s most natural form, which helps me to capture this on camera and share with the world. When doing so I have a sense that I owe the world something; a feeling I can only fulfil with photography.’
What Abeid portrays with his photography is what takes place in Tanzania every day. All he does is choose the right images to tell the true story of his country, whether politically, socially or economically. ‚I started doing so with black and white projects back in 2010, but ever since I was a child I have had a passion for photography. In the beginning working as a photographer was very challenging for me, because I didn’t know how to approach people or what to focus on. But I’ve learned to deal with these challenges and turn them into opportunities, not letting anything overcome my passion for photography.’ To achieve this ‚Abeid the Fotografa’ works on personal projects as well as in commercial photography, combining the two. ‚I think there is a big difference between those who work solely in commercial photography and those who work personally. On the one hand you have photographers who cannot do anything else but satisfy their client, where for example street photographers aim to expose themselves with their own projects. For me, one supplies me with enough funds to do the other.’
A factor that definitely helps him in his work to showcase Tanzania in it’s best way is the developing economy of his country. There is a steady growth of the photography industry and in the number of photographers, which makes it a respectable profession now and gives photographers the change to earn a living out of it. ‚I think photography is only going to grow bigger and bigger here in Tanzania because of the professionalisation and the availability of resources’, he explains. ‚We’ve got to keep an eye out for real talent though, because having a lot of photographers doesn’t mean they’re all competent or passionate about what they do’. The amount of photographers is growing rapidly since 2009, which resulted in the creation of the Tanzania Photography Exhibition in the National Museum of Dar Es Salaam last year. ‚The organisers aimed at uniting photographers from throughout the country and I think they succeeded. Before this event I used to show my images online or privately, but now they were professionally curated and followed the theme of the exhibition – cooperating with my colleagues.’
Now that the photography market in Tanzania is improving and the amount of photographers growing, it’s time for Abeid to conquer the international scene. According to him professionals in markets abroad still think that Africans live a primitive way of life, filled with hunger, poverty and war. ‚But that’s far from always the case. We now live in a world in which the only difference is time. I aim to let the audience know what is really going on in our society through my images of people and nature. Once they get thrilled you have their attention and after that you can tell them a different story; show them a different view.’ While continuing to show the upsides of his country and trying to have his audience understand that Tanzania is a beautiful, diverse and developed country, he aims his lens across the border: ‚I want to experience what is going on outside of my own country, exhibit across the glove and host my own exhibitions. Everything starts on a personal level, after that you go national and pave your way to the international market. That’s my goal.’
Read the original article on This is Africa
Video interview with Michael Cook about his series ‘Through My Eyes’ for Silvershotz. Featured in the homonymous exhibition in the Museum for Australian Democracy in Canberra.
Interview Michael Cook – Through My Eyes from Silvershotz on Vimeo.
So The British Journal of Photography sold out its twitter account with 250000 followers into a NFT marketing account called 'art3'. They started a new account for photography. Which has 836 followers. And in doing so destroyed their reputation and reach. pic.twitter.com/KDI0HpT2fW
