Project Description
Sisters Josline (2007) and Lois (2008) were born and raised in Amsterdam. Their black father from Cameroon and white mother from the Netherlands met in the Netherlands years ago, fell in love and had two children. Since 2016 I have been documenting the lives of the sisters in both Europe and Africa. The family lives and stays both in the Netherlands and in Africa. I like long term projects. Since 2016, the sisters have lived in Cameroon for a year and Benin for a year. I have visited and lived with them in both places. In addition, I went on holiday and family visits with them to West Africa (Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cameroon) and the South of France.
I am interested in how they relate to both Europe and Africa. I am interested in how they themselves view life. And what it does to me.
I am falling in love with the continent myself. I eat fish with my hands, feast on peanuts from wine bottles, drink bissap and am part of the family, observing the family and the world around me. Live along and with the rhythm of the family. Wait for hours at border crossings. Dive into the pools. Take morning walks on dusty roads. And I experience the girls: from their love for barbies to then their love for horses.
I like the everyday moments and the moments where nothing seems to happen, the non-moments.
Specific in this edit I am looking for a visual rhythm.
Bio
Carla Kogelman (NL, 1961) has studied social work. After that she worked in the theatre industry for 25 years. In 2008 she made another switch and in december 2011 she graduated at the Foto Academie Amsterdam. In her work she captures the daily life of people, especially children. Being around the same people for a long time, she becomes invisible. This gives her the opportunity to get a good insight into the lives of her subjects and reach the real story behind what is observed superficially. Another fascination is the back stage life of theatre, film and sport. In 2012, she was commissioned to make a documentary about the rural Waldviertel region.
in 2014 she was awarded 1st prize People – observed portraits (wpp) and in 2018 1st prize Long term projects for ICH BIN WALDVIERTEL
Jolodibo
Hariban Award 2023