Lesdi
A Photograph by Eva Diallo
As in this photograph, the flow of sand is like that of water, rising in neat or unsettled creases. Unlike water, sand cannot be said to move toward any shoreline. Hence the depression around the midpoint of the photo is especially noteworthy. Whose pause is that, what stillness has occurred? And, is there any sand-path without a memory of being trodden?
— Emmanuel Iduma
“My photography is spontaneous and directed by feelings.”
This photo was taken in Saint-Louis, in northern Senegal, on a beach called Salsal. In the background, in the distance, you can see a few trees. This is the border between Senegal and Mauritania. We used to go there as a family when I was a child, and my cousins and I have always kept the habit. The camera is there and I capture fragments of our family moments. At the time, I was working with a small-format film camera, which is small and very easy to use. Nothing is staged; my photography is spontaneous and directed by feelings.
This image suggests a presence, it's representative of a premature and furtive departure. Here, I'm talking about absence, the weight of missing and nostalgia. A departure is always significant, whether prepared or improvised. This trace in the sand is an excellent description of the first chapter of my Bolol project (the road, the path, in Fulani). I began the project in 2019, retracing the journey of two of my relatives who left our family hamlet. Their destination was Italy.
I started taking pictures when I was very young, in a simple and naive desire to keep memories and family moments. To be able to take these instants with me wherever I go. The complexity of a family life scattered across two continents. It's a way of keeping track of what we see, and of putting into images what's on our hearts. Transmitting an image is a gentle way of getting a message across. It's subtle, and documentaries can also convey emotions and a sense of time passing.
Images speak to all who see them, unlike words, which say many clear things but are only accessible to those in the alphabetized part of the world.
— Eva Diallo
About Eva Diallo
Eva Diallo was born in 1996 in Lausanne, Switzerland. She lives and works in Dakar, Senegal. When Eva Diallo moved to Senegal in 2018, she devoted her artistic research to the issue of illegal migration, drawing on her own family history and particularly that of two of her cousins who left Senegal for Italy and France. The numerous trips made by the artist to Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and all around West Africa in the footsteps of her relatives give shape to a series of photographs in progress divided by chapter: Bolol. At each stage, the artist immerses herself in the place to understand its functioning and to capture its atmosphere. More of her work can be found on her website, via Galerie Cécile Fakhoury, and on Instagram.
PREVIOUS EDITION — “The Space Between Us” by Visule Kabunda
Last winter on a visit to family in Zambia, I took a two-hour bus ride from Lusaka to Kabwe to see my grandmother. While in her home, I observed a series of family portraits hanging from her wall. The photographs captured paternal family members, some of whom I had never met before. Although I had seen these photographs numerous times, what struck me the most about this moment was the placement of the picture frames.
This is the 121st edition of this publication. The newsletter also read on web (best for viewing images), and via the Substack iOS/Android apps.
TENDER PHOTO is a collaborative digital archive and publishing platform of contemporary African photography. Every Wednesday we feature a photograph, a short caption about it, and a statement from the photographer. Last year, we published commentaries or photo-essays in response to photographs previously featured on the newsletter, including CORRESPONDENCES, CONCORDANCE, KINDRED, INDEX, and AFFINITIES. The next Friday series will begin in August.
Our aim is to use photography to engage with life on the African continent in all its diversity. We published nuanced narratives about the people, places, and events pictured in photographs, contributing to a shift in global perception about African peoples.
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