Åsa Sjöström creates awareness and intimacy, with a blend of documentary and fine art photography, and personal intent. Sainethra Hariharan discovers a sense of both affinity and hope within the quiet telling of Sjöström’s stories.
How strange would it be to think of a country without a home? This is the story of Moldova, an Eastern European country, nestled between Romania and Ukraine, with ties with Russia, but so poor and unknown that it may well cease to exist in the next 50 years. A photograph by Åsa Sjöström made the world aware of Moldova. The photo, titled Birthday Chocolate (seen below), had won the second prize in the Daily Life Category, Singles, at the World Press Photo Awards in 2015. Taken at a shelter for children, it shows two friends sharing a moment as all children should. Yet, it belies a far greater issue.
All over Moldova are children— seemingly orphans—who actually have parents. And although these kids appear well taken care of, their parents are forced to find work abroad by leaving the children with their grandparents, in order to support their families. As a writer with Better Photography, this single image moved me to discover Moldova and Åsa Sjöström’s exceptional work.
Into a New World
This story is from the August 2017 edition of Better Photography.
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This story is from the August 2017 edition of Better Photography.
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