Zanzibar Memoir

Prologue: My first trip to Zanzibar was in 1993, I had just spent three months traveling overland through Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and only intended to stay for a few days. Instead I got stuck waiting an additional seven weeks for my visa to India. Day after day as I meandered through the labyrinthine streets of Stone Town the locals sitting in front of their homes began engaging me in conversation: “You have walked by me for many days now, sit down and tell me who you are.” Over the next several weeks friendships were born and soon I began to feel like I somehow belonged. I knew one day I would return. Project: The genesis of Zanzibar Memoir was in the pre-digital era, it was 1998 and my third trip to the island. I chose to use an old 1940’s Crown Graphic 4x5 camera and Polaroid Type 55 film because I wanted the participants to have the advantage of seeing their image and providing input within minutes of making the portrait. This allowed for a collaborative process to emerge, I welcomed their feedback and followed their direction. I continue to rely on this 80-year-old camera because the slow meticulous process gives the photo-shoot time to unfold. Next week I travel back for my sixth visit to Zanzibar. I have been making photographs and sharing my work with the community for over two decades. With each return I re-photograph many of the same people and welcome new participants. I have witnessed children becoming adults, young people leaving the island in search of a better future, families growing and friends passing away. Like seeds unexpectedly planted back in 1993, those initial experiences of mutual curiosity continue to mature and nourish our creative exchange. With each interaction we return to an ongoing engagement – quietly redefining lines drawn by the history and discourse of “the other”. Zanzibar Memoir serves as both a catalyst and an evolving record of this process. Together the community members and I continue to navigate the intricate threshold where dramatic cultural difference and an undeniable shared humanity converge.