The Gambia is a popular holiday destination, but few tourists know of the dark underbelly of 'The Smiling Coast of Africa'. From 1994-2017 President Jammeh ruled Gambia as his fiefdom, crushing opposition & dissent with brutality. He ordered his hit squad & intelligence agency to carry out tortures, assassinations, disappearances and acts of sexual violence with impunity. The portraits & testimonies are part of an ongoing series to tell the stories of the victims & resisters of a dictatorship, to expose the extensive human rights abuses, as a tool of advocacy and to create a historical archive
Florio, is a freelance photographer & filmmaker, based between London and the Gambia. He has produced images and documentaries for clients including The New York Times, Smithsonian, The New Yorker, Men’s, Journal, Outside, Bloomberg, Geographical, MIT Technology Review, Amnesty International and the World Bank. He is a contributing editor for the Virginia Quarterly Review. His focus is towards under-reported stories about people living on the margins of society and human rights. His work has been recognised with a number of awards, including The Magnum Photo Award 2017 & American Photo 2018
Awards 2019 LensCulture Finalist Portrait Awards
2018 Contemporary African Photography Prize - short listed
2018 American Photography 34 (AI-AP)
2018 LensCulture Exposure Awards - Jurors' Pick
2017 Magnum Photography Awards - Winner -Photojournalism
2016 Virginia Quarterly Review - Prize for Photography
2014 ASME nomination - Feature Photography/VQR 'Life on the River Gambia'
2014 Society of News Design - Award of Excellence /'Mogadishu Portraits'
2013 Society of Publication Designers Awards -Trunk Magazine -Silver Medal
2013 Virginia Quarterly Review - Prize for Photography
2012 International Photography Award - Honourable Mention 'Professional'
2012 Portrait Salon - 2012 Selections
2012 PX3 Prix de la Photographie Silver Medal - Portraiture/Culture category
2012 Black & White Spider Awards - Winner - Portrait category
2012 International Photography Awards - Honourable Mention
2011 PX3 Prix de la Photographie – Gold Medal - War
2011 PX3 Prix de la Photographie - 3rd Public Choice
2010 International Photography Awards - First Prize - People category
2010 Forward Thinking Museum - Winner - 2nd Quarter Photography Contest
2010 NY Photo Festival - Honorary Mention - fine art/personal series
2010 PDN Faces - Finalist
2010 CDS/Daylight Awards - Honorary Mention - Project Prize
2009 Centre Review Santa Fe - Nominee
