being new to Papua New Guinea

The selected photos give an overview of the life as a child in Papua New Guinea. Young population can be used to compare different societies with each other. Children have similar needs and are very much influenced by their habitat. For me it is important to show different aspects to give an overview that does not just support clichés. One thing is for sure, a lack of material goods does not make children less happy. They grow up under great challenges but also in a healthy connection to nature. The traditional dances are, as well as hunting and treats of Malaria and lumbering, part of their daily-life. I visited remote villages in the Sepik Province and documented the social and cultural life of children tor the NGO Baua Baua, which was founded by Elizabeth Cox. I understand my photographic work as documentary in an ethnological tradition. But for me as an visual artist the aesthetic aspect is always important as well as the perceiving of a meaningful story.