Stephan Würth: Ikinga

By Joseph Akel

In late 2013, photographer Stephan W rth embarked on a whirlwindroad trip, winding his way across Burundi, a small landlocked nation in the heart of East Africa. Snapping images on a hidden iPhone during his journey, W rth portrays everyday life in the impoverished country, from the bustling open-air markets of its capital, Bujumbura, to the plantations of sweet banana and coffee deep in the country's foothills. The photographs highlight the integral role the bicycle--or ikinga --plays in Burundi's culture. With a candid eye that recalls Walker Evans' surreptitious subway shots of New York in the 1930s, W rth's photographs reveal a lively, resourceful and entrenched bicycle culture that is vital not only to Burundi's economy, but also to the daily survival of its countrymen. At times playful and intimate, Ikinga is a bold meditation upon the power of creativity and improvisation during times of great difficulty.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 8862084447
• ISBN13: 9788862084444
• Release Date: February 2016
• Publisher: Damiani Ltd
• Length: 72 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 9.6" x 9.7"