Everyday Africa: 30 Photographers Re-Picturing a Continent, published by Kehrer Verlag, showcases photos of ordinary life in Africa that find beauty in stories rarely seen—shifting perception from the sensationalized extremes to a more textured, familiar reality. Photographs run alongside sections of Instagram commentary inspired by the images. The comments can be lighthearted one moment and caustic the next, speaking volumes about widely held perceptions of Africa while underscoring the continent’s increased connectivity in a globalized world.
Created in 2012 by Peter DiCampo and Austin Merrill, the Everyday Africa project uses photography to combat clichés that depict Africa as a place of only poverty, disease, and war. It has more than 320,000 followers on Instagram and has been published in media outlets worldwide.
The New York launch hosted at the Open Society Foundations will feature short conversations with contributors to the project and book.
Speakers
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Austin Merrill
Speaker
Austin Merrill is co-founder of the Everyday Projects.
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Peter DiCampo
Speaker
Peter DiCampo is co-founder of the Everyday Projects.
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Maaza Mengiste
Speaker
Maaza Mengiste is the author of the novel Beneath the Lion's Gaze and wrote the introduction to Everyday Africa, On Illusion and the Ordinary.
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Stephen Mayes
Speaker
Stephen Mayes is executive director of the Tim Hetherington Trust and wrote the afterword to Everyday Africa, Everyday Tomorrow.
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Girma Berta
Speaker
Girma Berta is an Everyday Africa photographer.
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Idil Ibrahim
Speaker
Idil Ibrahim is an Everyday Africa photographer.
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Teun van der Heijden
Speaker
Teun van der Heijden is the book designer for Everyday Africa.
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