Honorable Mention
Jose, 24 from Angola - from the series 'COLD WAR'
DESCRIPTION
‘It was -35 C the day I arrived..’ Since the 1960’s, Russia has taken recruits from countries in Africa including Angola, Congo and Mozambique to train them to fly helicopters. Now, despite ties with western nations and the war in Syria, Saudi Arabians and South Africans are joining them. As the vast majority of Russians are Slavs, they stand out from the general population as dramatically as they do the landscape.
Transplanted to icy plains from the merciless heat of their homelands, most arrive without speaking a word of a taxing language and have to endure rigorous physical and mental challenges. For a few, the opportunities appear more attractive than at home, but many are not volunteers and the Russian environment is renowned as tough, isolated and at times hostile.
AUTHOR
My work focuses primarily on identity and heritage. Seeking a deeper understanding of history I examine objects and people in detail and uses the reflection of today to glean unusual perspectives on the past. I use both still life and portrait based genres for his personal documentary work.Influences include Simon Norfolk, Edmund Clarke, Charlie Crane, Roger Fenton and many other large format documentary photographers.
I am is a co-founder and regular contributor to 'Deepsleep' the online magazine and collective devoted to contemporary art photography.
