Ina maisha alisi

In our community life, natural life shines through The project reflects on the power of nature in developing and maintaining communities. In the region of Mtwara (Tanzania) this has particular significance, because the regional/international economy is driven by the mining of and trade in natural resources. Due to newly found resources such as oil and gas, infrastructure is being quickly developed, which both stimulates and obfuscates the local economic and social order. Local inhabitants are searching for a new balance in life and work. Relying on what nature has to offer, has made for a strong sense of community, for many generations already. But traditional lifestyles are now being challenged by the global trade and its need for a new economical and social order – sometimes colliding with local interests and customs. This series shows portraits of inhabitants of Mtwara region, and Simbati village. During a collaborative and artistic research trip on site, my colleague I.P.A. interviewed the people we met. I portrayed inhabitants and laborers, sometimes with artificial flowers which I got as a gift from the university of Mtwara during a graduation event. The flowers represent pride and celebration. I’ve used them in my images as a gesture of respect towards local customs.To portray the people of Simbati with flowers also carries a particular significance: the people are emotional about a newly-built gas plant and they feel their interests are sometimes being ignored. I’ve tried to visualize new dialogues or connections, suitable for a more international audience. And to draw attention to the special character and significance of metals, in surprising and even feminine or sensitive ways. I’ve done this work as an allusion to my western and Dutch lifestyle as a consumer of mass products and artificial/plastic/industrial nature. At the same time, it was my intention to openly connect with the stories of the people we met, to create special ’sweet’ moments. The Wonder Welders workshop in Dar es Salaam, which features in several of the images, offers working opportunities for Tanzanian people with disabilities, as part of an ethical trade project for talented workpeople. It provides the possibility for the laborers to earn an honest wage and start a new life and career, away from begging in the streets and busy intersections in the cities. The portraits made in Tanzania are connected by a focus on local metal trade, manufacturing and recycling. And of course, the people, community and social life. To show resilience and dignity. Because in the end, people are proud on what Tanzania has to offer to the rest of the world, in natural and economical terms.