Tombo's wound
A photo series by Joey L.
Welcome to Tombohuaun - a tiny village in the heart of the Sierra Leonean jungle.
It’s a part of the world rich in natural resources with a strong community ethic, but is neglected by government resources and infrastructure. As a result, people here face ongoing sickness caused by dirty water and poor sanitation.
Known locally as 'the place where bad things come from', this region has experienced – and overcome – civil war and the Ebola outbreak.
Translated as ‘Tombo’s wound’, the village’s name tells the story of this resilience and collaboration: Legend has it that a man called Tombo was wounded by a catfish when fishing in the river. The chief ordered the community to come together to catch and cook the fish. To this day, the residents of Tombohuaun are unified and resourceful in the face of adversity.
That’s why Tombohuaun’s journey to clean water was chosen as the focus of WaterAid’s 2017 Untapped campaign. We wanted to break the mould of the charity appeal, and this needed a new approach. Adopting the Tombohuaun spirit of collaboration, we worked with Canadian photographer Joey Lawrence and the community to create a visual identity that was unique and thought-provoking.
“Rather than just creating images that underscored Tombohuaun’s plight, WaterAid and I envisioned a cultural study of the community that would highlight its resilience, its fraternity, its highly organised structure, and its work ethic.
These are all the things that will enable the village to thrive and sustain its clean water resources and practices long after WaterAid has completed its work."
The resulting body of work documents the photographer's process as much as it does the progress of the village. As Joey reflects, "the camera points both ways."
Painting a complete picture
As the characters of Tombohuaun emerged and we got to know them, Joey photographed people in two ways. In action, highlighting their role or job in the community and in an onsite jungle studio.
"WaterAid would then use these dual photos to paint a complete picture of each subject and their individual story, but I still thought of this as a very personal project that should look no different from my other work. "
Life in action
Tombohuaun is a fishing and farming community, the profitable crop being palm oil. The whole village is involved, from harvesting kernels high up in the trees to processing the oil in hand-dug pits in a jungle clearing.
Palm oil production
Fishing
From these life-studies, a particularly special photograph of six-year-old Joe Smart (who we nicknamed 'Strong Joe') came about in a spontaneous way.
"Joe had made the mask made out of grass with his friends that morning, and wanted to keep it on during his portrait. I had photographed him before earlier that week, and in between giggling, he always held this very empowered expression. I snapped just a few close-up frames of him looking up like this in between the leaves. I only noticed the nuance of his expression later on, and decided this close-up portrait taken at the beginning was my favorite of the session."
Studio portraits
The jungle studio, constructed by the villager themselves, was an important way for people to choose how they wanted to be represented. By selecting their outfits, as well as the objects they wanted to be photographed with, people were able to create a portrait that they could keep.
"In capturing these photos in Tombohuaun, I wanted to inspire admiration and hope, rather than pity and sadness, to capture the locals as the determined individuals that they are."
As the women’s leader, Mayama (called Mama Mayama, out of respect) set up a women’s committee called Agbomuma, which means ‘self-help’.
Members work as a collective, farming and gardening together to increase their yield and earn extra money, which they contribute to a loan scheme. Mama Mayama is in charge of the cash box, and advises women on how to spend their loan, as well as how to pay it back.
She chose to be photographed with the two girls she fosters and the community cash box. It’s a symbol of what they are working hard to grow: funds, prosperity – and a strong community of women.
"The group shot of Mayama, Jeneba and Nafisatu is meaningful in regards to the series. She is training the next generation of women to take on her responsibilities."
“I use my camera to magnify cultural diversity in a modern world hell-bent on growth and consumption...
...I’m looking for the common human thread and I’m doing it at time where this diversity is both challenged and exalted.”
The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2018
The annual Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize is one of the most prestigious photography awards in the world and showcases new work that has been submitted by some of the most exciting contemporary photographers.
Two of Joey's Tombohuaun photos are featured in the exhibition at National Portrait Gallery: Portrait of Strong Joe Smart and Portrait of Mayama Mustafa.
Location: National Portrait Gallery, London
Date: 18 October 2018 – 27 January 2019
Entry: £5 without donation, £6 with donation
Buy a Joey L print:
Joey's photo of Strong Joe Smart placed third in the Taylor Wessing Prize 2018.
If you would like to buy a print of the portrait, you can do so on the WaterAid website.
Prints are £120 and 50% of the proceeds will go to WaterAid.
Thanks to the generosity of the UK public, WaterAid's Untapped campaign raised £4.2 million, which was matched by the UK Government to bring the total to over £8 million.
