The grasp is firm and the gaze is fixed. Neither the boy nor the adult who holds him is seen in full, an indication that the exquisite framing of the picture is intended as so, and perhaps that the gestures are dramatised. The boy’s face, flush with the innocent charm of late childhood, is otherwise anodyne, save for the gravity of his fixed stare, more arcane than youth can suggest. And what of the hands placed on both sides of his face? They too, covered in an uneven coat of paste, are hard to date. This, then, is a photograph that says little of why it was taken, pointing instead to small traces of mystery.
— Emmanuel Iduma
“I see photography as a habit, or as a devotion.”
The photo was taken in Heroldsbay, in December 2021. My grandmother had a white facemask on her face and hands, and my youngest brother, Gustav, was sitting on the couch. As my grandmother entered the living room, I was fascinated by her hands. I asked her to place them on Gustav's face, and gave him an eyeline to look at. I took the photo.
This photograph was one of the earliest photographs that defined HOLYDAY as a project. It is one I am partial to. While specific photographs from HOLYDAY stand out to me, I regard them best as a whole. They are complementary to each other.
I see photography as a habit, or as a devotion. It is in the day-to-day practice of it that I find the most meaning. I take my camera wherever I go. I don't always have the words to express the things I am feeling, and in their place, I have photography as a means of communication.
— DMT
About DMT
DMT is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist, born in Pretoria, South Africa who specialises in documentary and fine art photography, often drawing from literary, sociological, and metaphysical influences. The winner of the of Emergentes 2023 - International Photography Award Encontros da Imagem for HOLYDAY, DMT is a member of Through the Lens Collective, and a PhMuseum Masterclass alum. See more of DMT’s work on their website, Instagram and on Nowhere Diary and F-Stop Magazine.
LAST WEEK: “Light Up” by Chris Iduma
This particular image was made the night Bridget, my mother, just returned from church and was trying to call her older sister after receiving news of her brother's death as a result of a long-term illness. He lived in Warri, Delta State, and his wife had refused his family members from seeing him for a long time. She handled his calls and access to the house. Bridget also lost one of her patients (also a friend) the previous day due to a misunderstanding that forced her to stop treatments.
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TENDER PHOTO is a bi-weekly newsletter on African photography. Every Wednesday we feature a photograph and a short caption about it, and include a statement from the photographer. Every Friday, we publish commentaries or photo-essays in response to photographs previously featured on the newsletter. The most recent series is INDEX. Our goal is to engage with early to mid-career African photographers by creating a platform in which they lead the cataloguing and engagement with their work.
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