This photograph was taken in Garowe in April 2023. It was a spur of the moment shot – I had been driving around with my cousin on one of the roads in Garowe where this market is located. This scene came upon us; these people standing near this market that’s closed, illuminated by its light and the streetlight, the dead tree. There’s a man I didn’t see at first sitting on the ground on the phone, oblivious to the road and its happenings.

These two men, appearing to take a break from the busy market section of the festival, sat across one another with a box of goods between them. They looked as though suspended in their own world, the warm light of the afternoon sun setting shadows that provided them with brief respite from the chaos around us. You can see in the background a motorbike; many travel from nearby towns on motorbikes to attend the festival and the roads are filled with the sound of their engines and the smoke. This image stood out to me in the symbols it contains …

I took the photo in a rural area in southern Madagascar. I was talking with another young mother when I saw her. There was something striking about the way she stood, looking out toward the horizon. It felt like a moment I couldn’t miss. I raised my camera and captured it instinctively—no setup, no pose. Just a raw, honest moment that said everything without words.

This photo was taken at the port of Boulbinet after a crossing from Kassa Island. I conducted interviews and took some photos with my friend Djiba. During these crossings, an experienced adult steers the boat, while a younger person at the front assists with docking. This young man impressed me with his confidence: shirtless, muscular, standing tall at the edge of the boat, unafraid.

This photograph was taken in Ivory Coast, precisely in a village on the Ivory Coast-Ghana border. It reflects the state of mind of humankind. We seek God, whether through churches, mosques, or in nature, to honor our traditions. God occupies a central place in our existence. Ultimately, no one knows what God looks like.

The photographs were taken in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria during an art residency program where I revisited the concept of Rust and Gold in Ibadan from an agricultural perspective. My project highlights the decline of agriculture in Oyo state, with a major challenge being the lack of youth interest. Many young people are shifting away from farming in favour of white-collar jobs, contributing to the sector’s gradual decline.

The photo was taken at Entebbe-Lake Victoria. I was having lunch with friends, enjoying some of the best potatoes I've ever had. The beach had this uniquely beautiful vibe—Marabou storks by the shore were scaring some people while others remained in awe. I grew up by the Indian Ocean, and the birdlife there hardly compares in size. I thought the mix of everything going on was beautiful, and I see my photos as a dialogue with my future self. I didn't have time to compose a shot with my DSLR, so I just used my phone. It's a lovely surprise …

This photo was taken in Praia do Soba, in Namibe, Angola’s southernmost province. There wasn’t much of a process, just awe. I happened to be in awe at finally seeing a place I had only ever heard about, never properly pictured, and realising no photo could truly do it justice.

As I look back and attempt to measure my impulse, I might say I was compelled by the relative ease of turning my lens towards that view. It seemed unlikely anyone could see me or hear the click of the shutter, and I liked the monologue. Since I rarely pictured people I felt no guilt. The painted wall on the right suggests this as the backyard of a nursery or primary school, and on a number of occasions there was a mass assembling of cars, perhaps for a parents and teachers meeting.

In my work, I've always had this fascination with what Roland Barthes described as “that has been”—the thing in front of the camera that was, once upon a time, real. Before that experience, I had an intimate interest in the Acacia species and their depiction on the pyramids in the Nile Valley civilization, but also their presence in the city and their integral part of being of that place, so the photograph is a vessel of that interest to some extent.