WORDS Michaela Stehr PHOTOS by Stéphan Gladieu
French photographer Stéphan Gladieu documented the striking costumes created from waste in the Congolese capital Kinshasa.
Wealthier nations such as America illegally dump masses of waste here – where local people do not have the resources or the funds to treat and recycle the debris. The people of Kinshasa took matters into their own hands and began making Afro-future art – with the waste repurposed into magical religious costumes. These costumes aren’t so commonly seen these days with colonialism and Catholicism wiping out important African traditions and folklore.
Gladieu visited Congo and formed a relationship with the local artists who wanted to document the pieces and help to raise awareness. Although his aim was not to inspire guilt through his photographs. “I didn’t want to do work that would be dark. A lot of work had been done like that. People don’t want to see and don’t really react anymore to those images. It doesn’t help them realize that we all have a personal responsibility in the way we consume and throw things away.”
Pushing against systemic violence and giving respect towards a community and its practices was of vital importance when documenting the movement. Entitled Homo Détritus, Gladieu then moved into the suburb where he worked together with 25 local artists in creating and repairing costumes to photograph. “…when I say it’s a collaborative project, it’s also in terms of income because there is a part of the money that I can send by doing speeches and books. It’s a wonderful experience, even if it’s not easy. There are 25 artists,” Stéphen explains. “So sometimes it’s a mess, but it’s quite fun.”
You can see more of Homo Détritus on Gladieu’s website and through Instagram.
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