/ 2021 / /

Constant Fear of Death: Growing up with Albinism

  • Prize
    Bronze in Portraiture/Children
  • Photographer
    Matilde Simas
  • Studio
    Matilde Simas
  • Website
    http://www.matildesimas.com
  • Instagram
    https://www.instagram.com/mattie_simas/?hl=en

This series is made up of portraits of four Tanzanian child survivors of violent superstition-driven attacks and in their own words their testimonials. The children are among the nearly 7,000 Tanzanians with albinism, a hereditary condition that results in a lack of pigmentation in skin, hair, and eyes. In Tanzania, witchdoctors promote a belief in the potential magic and superstitious properties of albino body parts, and children with albinism are murdered so their skin, hair, and appendages can be used to make charms and potions believed to bring wealth, power, and good luck.

Matilde Simas is a photographer based in Boston, MA. Her unique style focuses on documentary and fine art, with her imagery simultaneously reflecting the sensitivity and the strength of her subjects. Matilde uses the capacity of photography to inform, provoke discussion, and inspire action by public speaking and exhibiting her work in museums, galleries, and public spaces. Her work on human trafficking has been widely exhibited by various UN agencies. She has recently been awarded a UNICEF Picture of the Year HM.