"Albinism, Albinism"

“Albinism, Albinism” is an ongoing photographic project. The series is meant to capture the beauty of boys born with albinism - an absence of pigmentation in the eyes and skin and hair. It is meant to create awareness through beauty, highlighting its subjects rather than portraying them as victims.  The first edition of the series was shot in Tanzania, a country with a history of violence, murder and segregation against albinos. The second edition of the series was shot in Uganda, a country where albinos face a bit less social segregation yet still have no proper access to healthcare or well-paid jobs. The young men featured in the series come from different walks of life, from a Ugandan professional dancehall musician to an activist to an education college student. I see my work as a middle-ground between reality and fantasy. I like to add an element of fantasy to what is already there, what already exists. In this series I have reimagined landscapes in order to bring a sense of tenderness, sensitivity and an ephemeral aura to beings that are not always humanised by their communities. The garments for this series were made by Art Comes First and the photos were exhibited at Zona Maco in Mexico City in 2020. I like to combine the worlds of art, awareness creation and aesthetics/fashion and tell profound stories through that melange.