Last year I started a long-term project to document life in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Bougainville has been hidden behind a 10-year civil war with the Papua New Guinean Government that essentially cut it off from the outside world — no medicine, no schools, no travel, no communication, no support — for over a decade. Somehow managing to win the civil war, the Bougainvillean people are now recognised as an Autonomous State that has earned its right to vote for independence. That vote will take place between 2015 and 2019.
My goal is to connect with people from across Bougainville to document what life is like there, to stand as a witness to the forming of their nation and to add to their voice to the outside world.
With the guidance of my mentors Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, I will slowly start to post more images to my site as I piece the story together.
No simple task, wish me luck!
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville is home to approximately 200,000 people and is located to the east of Papua New Guinea, and near to the Cook Islands