About
These images are an intimate look into the lives of the people of Saint Louis, Senegal.
The city’s natural boundaries play a significant role in the lives of its people. The images in this book are taken primarily in the historic downtown and the Guet N’Dar.
Images of historic Saint Louis focus on people in the street, and a peaceful gathering in support of a local Muslim Sheik who had been jailed. The majority of the Muslims in attendance dressed in their finest clothes to show respect for the sheik, while protesting his incarceration.
Guet N’Dar differs from downtown Saint Louis in both appearance and feel. This small fishing community does not have French architecture, tourist shops or signed restaurants. What one finds instead are incredible boat craftsmen, hospitable locals, delectable food and the ever-pervading smell of fish. When not at sea, hundreds of handcrafted boats line the shores of the Senegal River, leaving not a sliver of space. The vessels are colorfully painted, and some are adorned with flags from countries on earth. A fisherman told me that each boat flew a different country’s flag, in the hope of representing every land in the world. The pictures of Guet N’Dar take as their subject people, fishing boats and the rituals of daily life.
The downtown and Guet N’Dar neighborhoods—and the images of them I capture—are unique, but together represent a singular Saint Louis.