PERSONAL /#PHOTOGRAPHY
‘SAAMAKA MII’ AT
SURINAAMS MUSEUM, 2018
The photographic work featured in ‘Saamaka Mii’, intimately explore the power of images; not only as a device to hold memories, but rather a mirror of dreams and realities for the Saamakan youth. In collaboration with the Botopasi locals, Alies Giordano Josafath and Nokomo Ritfeld, I developed stylized portraits, showcasing the intersection of tradition meets city-influenced modernity.
The concept of image-making inherently attracted the village’s younger generation as an opportunity to depict their own fantasies and truths – approached from a gaze both sensitive and sensual. The sets were designed incorporating common Saamakan household materials; patterned linoleum floors, pangi cloths, carved wooden seats, and trimmed palm fronds or blooms from the abundant jungle surroundings.
‘Saamaka, Mii’ (Saramacca, Children) is a series of photographs representing the contemporary Afro-Surinamese youth culture. Portraiture validates status, encapsulates an era, and brings credibility to a person or community within the world. It was important to have all sitters fully engage with the complete creative process to gain their own sense of agency and empower their narratives with honesty.
SAAMAKA MII
2018 , BY NICOLE VAN STRATUM
