Swaziland, 2006-2011
Krisanne Johnson / Prospekt
Swaziland, a kingdom with a population a little over a million and surrounded almost entirely by South Africa, is largely ignored by the media. It has drawn the attention of a few international organization due to the ravages of AIDS. The phenomenon illustrates the complexity of a country whose paradoxes Krisanne Johnson has captured for the past six years, without cliché or overdone pathos. Tradition remains, but that doesn’t preclude a palpable move toward social modernity, especially among the younger generations. The king of this unique absolute monarchy is celebrated as a divinity, controlling more than half of the country’s wealth. (For more info, see Nelly Bowles’ article in Foreign Policy).
Read the full text of this article on the French version of Le Journal.
Krisanne Johnson
Krisanne Johnson (b. 1976) grew up in Xenia, Ohio. She graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Colorado and pursued postgraduate work in visual communications at Ohio University. She is currently based in Brooklyn, NY.
Since 2006, Krisanne has been working on long-term personal projects about young women and H.I.V/AIDS in Swaziland and post-apartheid South African youth culture. Her work has been recognized by World Press Photo, Pictures of the Year International, and the Best of Photojournalism. She has received the W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography, a Getty Images Grant for Editorial Photography, and support from the Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund.
Her work has appeared in various magazines and newspapers, including TIME, The New York Times, Marie Claire Italy, and The Fader. In 2010, POLKA Galerie in Paris exhibited her South African youth culture work as part of their group exhibit on past and current South African documentary photography. She is represented by Prospekt.
Swaziland, 2006-2011 – Krisanne Johnson
From september 1st to september 21st
Couvent des Minimes
Rue François Rabelais
66000 Perpignan – France
