Story about the Batwa people form Kisoro, Uganda:
The Batwa spent their whole lives in the forest. More than 20 years
after eviction from their ancestral land, these days the Batwa people
are still suffering. The church and some non-governmental
organisations helped by buying land for settling on, but despite of that,
the Batwa people are still squatters and labourers without land for
farming of their own. The Batwa are impoverished, and lack of
regular income causes very limited acces to education and healthcare.
They survive on handouts and begging.
The community I visited is called Mukingo Batwa Village, with a
number of 35 households. The church of Uganda had build 15 units of
householding facilities, and the rest of the families builed their homes
with reads and polythene papers.
My heart broke when I met these people and the conditions were they
have to live in. I visit them 10 days.
As a documentary photographer, Janssen capture the moments he recognises in his fellow human beings, especially those elsewhere in the world. In everyday moments, he finds the same needs, insecurities or pleasures that all people enjoy in their lives - albeit to different degrees. In a world of polarisation and contrasts, sometimes even on one continent, Janssen settles geographical and symbolic boundaries by photographing people in a pure essence. He photographs the richness of our most basic human needs, like freedom, family and security - or, conversely, the absence of their obviousness.
Awards Discovery of the Year (overall winner), CHROMATIC AWARDS 2022
Gold Medal, Editorial - Documentary, New York Photography Awards 2022
International People Discovery of the Year, IPOTY 2017
International Discovery of the Year (overall winner), IPOTY 2017
Winner, LensCulture, Best Off Show, New York 2017
Px3 Gold Winner, Portrait, Prix de la Photographie Paris 2017
Px3 Gold Winner, Portrait, Prix de la Photographie Paris 2017
MIFA Gold Winner, Book People, Moscow 2016
MIFA Silver Winner, Book Overall, Moscow 2016
PX3 First Prize, Prix de la Photographie Paris 2015
People's Choice (series only) Book Overall
PX3 Silver Winner, Prix de la Photographie Paris 2015
Book Proposal (series only) Documentary
12th Annual Lucie Awards 2014
Finalist for "Discovery of the Year" Award
I.P.A. Book Photographer of the year 2014
I.P.A. 1st Place, International Photography Awards 2014
Book (Self-published), Overall Winner- People - Documentary
Winner of Xerox "Best of the Best Award" 2013
