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A group of people stand and sit in front of a traditional thatched hut against a dark background. Many wear colourful, patterned wraps and beaded necklaces.

Alejandro Chaskielberg's powerful nocturnal pictures of Kenyan villages

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Date
17 April 2012

The name of amost any country conjures up an immediate mental image usually rooted in stereotype, stale or otherwise. Mention any African country and whatever comes to mind is almost certainly set against a sun-scorched backdrop, and it’s this automatic associations that photographer Alejandro Chaskielberg enjoys unpicking.

His pictures, now on show in London in an exhibition organised by Oxfam, feature a community in the Turkana region of northwest Kenya, but they’re all taken at night, using full moons, strobe lighting and long exposure to create powerful portraits his subjects and their lives,

“I’ve always been attracted by the night, because it is the time when the most fascinating things can happen,” Alejandro said and that fascination is certainly evident in the cinematic feel of the final photos.

The show at the OXO Tower opens tomorrow and runs until Sunday.

A group of people stand and crouch together in a sandy landscape under a dark, moody sky. They are positioned behind and within a loose structure of thin wooden branches and netting.
Above

Alejandro Chaskielberg: Peter Abwell: “I want to support others and help them learn.”

Several people sleep on the ground under a wide, flat-topped tree at night. They lie on mats and blankets, surrounded by scattered sandals and a white bucket.
Above

Alejandro Chaskielberg: The Dreaming Family

Three people sit in a green and white fishing boat, while a fourth person stands in the shallow water beside it. They are surrounded by fishing nets and a few large fish hanging from the side of the boat, which bears the text “L.T.T 1362” and “JESU BELE”.
Above

Alejandro Chaskielberg: Peter Lokonyi: “I dream about owning a business for my family.”

Two people sit on the ground at night, with a child held in the arms of the person on the right. Behind them, three camels rest in the dirt against a backdrop of sparse, leafless scrub.
Above

Alejandro Chaskielberg: John Ekono Ekiman: “In the future I want to expand my herd.”

A person looks thoughtfully off-camera, wearing a thick, multi-layered collar of red, yellow, and green beads. They are positioned in front of lush green foliage against a dark background.
Above

Alejandro Chaskielberg: Elisabeth Ekatapan: “I want to have my own business.”

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

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Rob Alderson is a freelance writer, editor and strategist. He was previously editor-in-chief of It’s Nice That and WePresent, and editor of Design Week. He publishes the newsletter Undo, which tries to make sense of how AI is changing design work, the design process and the design industry.

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