The Rift

statement

I remember the first time I set foot in Africa. I landed in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, and before my heel touched the ground I had the overwhelming sensation that I was home. I was naïve but I held on to a sense of wonder, which I allow and, really, need when first experiencing a place. Since then, I have explored the continent from east to west and north to south. The familiarity and comfort of being "home" struck me most clearly in the east where the Great Rift Valley fractures the land. Observing the geological structure, I felt my core breached and my imagination excited. Below me, a long and vast fracture tore the earth apart, the richness of the continent's minerals exploding to the surface. It remains an emotional parallel to my experience of Africa.

The Rift Valley has become a startling metaphor for the balancing act upon which life on Earth is contingent. The richness of resource, originating from rainfall, deep bodies of water, fertile volcanic soil, and biological diversity, stands in violent contrast to the socio-political unrest and desperate needs of an overly dense population. Africa's people are not only at arms over land and other human necessities, but also the tribes comprising the populous of the Rift have competing loyalties and agendas.

This body of work is a journey through many parts of the Great Rift Valley, which I have called my home. It is composed of the places I went, the people I met and the beautiful and horrific magic that is held here in the cradle of life.