“The images are striking and beautiful, showing that with the freedom to imagine, and the space to create, anything is possible.”
11 kilometers north of Nairobi, is one of Kenya’s largest slum neighbourhoods. Korogocho, a Swahili term meaning crowded shoulder to shoulder, is less than 1.5km square, yet is home to over 150,000 people. With little infrastructure and few resources, the slum borders one of Kenya’s main rubbish dumps.
Despite this, inside the slum lies hope and beauty. Artist Joan Otieno describes herself as “junk” artist; her work is inspired by her surroundings and incorporates waste materials, turning them into two dimensional art pieces, and repurposing discarded textiles into fashion pieces. Her studio, Warembo Wasanii, provides a refuge, both creatively and emotionally, for the girls of Korogocho. The dynamics in the slum favours male dominance, and within the walls of Warembo Wasanii Joan teaches girls that progressive ideas and personal stories should be shared, as well as how to create garments using discarded plastic poylmers. This sanctuary is known as Mokoro – meaning mother.
Stylist Louise Ford and photographer Kristin-Lee Moolman have created a series of images curated by Emmanuelle Atlan and Sophie Strobele that showcase Mokoro. The result is a collaborative multimedia exhibition that unites photographs, video and interviews, recreating the inspiring sanctuary of Warembo Wasanii exhibited in Paris.
The shoot, which saw the creative team empower the girls by renting the garments and creating a goods-for-services transaction that set a standard for their self worth and work, sees a community of fledgling, teenage and grown women celebrating sisterhood and self-empowerment. The images are striking and beautiful, showing that with the freedom to imagine, and the space to create, anything is possible.
Photography by Kristin-Lee Moolman. Styling by Louise Ford.