Yamaha Life Vests

These portraits show the dates of when a handful of Syrians made their journey to Europe, each portrait with its own story to tell. 
These life vests are sold between the prices of €50 - €200 each, often stamped with fake brand names like Yamaha to appear top of the range. Many of these life vests are so cheaply manufactured that the material inside doesn’t keep you afloat, but instead causes people to sink when in contact with water. 
In collaboration with Abdullah Ali, these A1 portraits were exhibited in the windows of Smorgasbord Studio, Amsterdam just before the launch of our Re-VestLife campaign.
(Life vests collected from the shores of Lesbos, Greece. 2016.)