Red dirt interwines stories, legends and dances, while the Niger River invigorates lives and clears space.
The project presented is entitled « Cotton Strings and Termites Sand » a collection of photographs taken in a 6 month time span in 2013, during the war held by the French against the islamic tuareg whom had occupied the north part of the country.
Of cotton strings is made the clothing of Segou-Koro's King, a thick dense fabric and is the traditional dress of the ancient Bambara Kingdom, whom were defeated by colonisers in 1889.
Termites sand are mounds built by insects and can be seen almost everywhere in these lands. This sand on rare occasions is mixed together with karitè's butter and then used as a prestigious and exclusive building material, such as for the Royal Palace.
Every encounter, passage, village in this thirsty land, threatened by the advancing desert, guards mysteries which have been preserved by the passing of time.
A time in which traditions, popular beliefs, systems of production and lifestyle remain intact despite ongoing progress.
Cotton Strings and Termites Sand tells the story of a generous and open population which lives in time suspended.
This millenary civilisation has seen passing kings, flourishing plantations and mortal droughts.