Neo Gilder | Rwandan Futures
Rwanda has made astounding leaps into the future. After the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi and Twa that killed over a million people; arguably the most brutal atrocity in modern-day Africa by Africans, Rwanda has made incredible strides developing as a nation.
A national ban on plastic since 2008; long before climate change was de rigueur, shaped Kigali, its capital into the cleanest city in Africa. With 64% of women holding seats in parliament — more than any country in the world, is an example of a progressive country looking to the future.
Drastically improving its economy and decreasing its poverty rates, the Central African nation has boosted its image on the global scene. Rwanda’s exciting vision for 2020 seeks to bolster its growing economic success, focusing on its people by investing in a knowledge-based society.
The chance to visit new-look Rwanda was too big an opportunity for UK-based South African photographer Neo Gilder to pass on. Working as an in-house photographer for a fashion store in Cambridge, Gilder was invited to Rwanda by her best friend who was born in Rwanda but raised in Canada.
Gilder was also invited to South Africa during the same period to exhibit photographs to accompany the book launch of her father’s second book after designing the cover artwork. Gilder played her hand and chose to visit Rwanda first. The gamble paid off, capturing lush settings and the visible optimism of the Rwandan people, then to South Africa to exhibit her work and even netting another exhibition in her home country scheduled for early next year.
Graduating at the Cambridge School of Art with first class honours in photography, the South African photographer takes inspiration from the late Malian legendary photographer Malick Sidibé, Annie Lebovitz, Cindy Sherman, Richard Avedon and James Natchwey.
Gilder’s work touches on important themes such as sexual abuse, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), as well as the lesser spoken topic of depression in African men.
The South African photographer has had her work exhibited at the Ruskin gallery in Cambridge as well as in London at the Truman Brewery and the Winns gallery.
The Ocean African asked Gilder to give us a breakdown of some of the emotive images she captured on her journey to Rwanda:
THE OCEAN AFRICAN: What parts of Rwanda did you visit that offered you an abundance of photographic options for your work?
NEO GILDER: The city centre in Kigali definitely had the most inspiration. The city centre is busy and alive. There is a picture idea everywhere you look! I was spoilt for choice to be honest.
OA: What is the atmosphere in Rwanda like, especially after experiencing genocide in 1994?
NG: Although there’s a welcoming nature of the Rwandan people and sense of brotherhood and sisterhood, one can’t ignore the lingering stench of fear in the air. Rwanda has soldier’s roaming the grounds at every corner with rifles in hand. The soldiers are there to protect the people but they also make you feel like a war could break out at any point.
Most Rwandan people avoid speaking about the different ethnic groups (Hutu and Tutsi), but in the same sense black and white people tend to get slightly uncomfortable when the topic of race pops up.
One does feel a sense of the aftermath when you see a majority of families that are smaller because of family members lost to the genocide. I noticed quite a few injured and disabled people with lost limbs due to machete attacks. The atmosphere gets tense when you hear stories told about bodies that have been found and bones that appear in different locations to this day.
NG: The images above were taken just outside my best friend’s grandparents’ home in Gisenyi, Rwanda. There were a group of children passing by. When they saw me, their eyes immediately lit up and they starting smiling and shouting ‘Muzungu’, a term used to describe a white person. I was just getting out of the car and it began raining outside.
My friend and her family had already gone inside so I was alone with the children. I didn’t speak their language and they didn’t speak mine. I reached for my bag to get my camera and made gestures with my hands to ask if I could take pictures of them.
As soon as they saw my camera they started smiling and giggling. The boy with his hand on his brow, whom I identified as the ‘class clown’, jumped up and did the funniest poses he could think of which made his friends laugh. Everyone joined in, posing and smiling but my eyes were drawn to the sweetest little boy looking so innocent and coy. I shifted my camera in his direction and he gave me the sweetest smile as I took his picture.
NG: I was travelling back to Kigali with my best friend’s dad, her mother and younger brother after staying over in Gisenyi for the night. We stopped to buy brochette (my ultimate favourite food in Rwanda), It’s basically a kebab with goat meat. Where we stopped is similar to a mini market on the side of the road. As soon as you stop you are surrounded with people selling fruit, vegetables, live chickens, you name it.
This young lady and her baby boy were one of the people who came running to the car. I tried to secretly take images of the little boy but I felt as though I wasn’t capturing the essence of the moment, so I was left unsatisfied.
The lady went to my friend’s dad’s window and they starting chatting. I asked if I could take pictures of her. She was shy but said yes. She was telling the story of how she had her son when she was seventeen years old, and when her baby was born her boyfriend, the father of the child left her with no money or job. She is currently unemployed moving to different markets trying to sell peas with her friend. My friend’s dad exchanged number with her to try help her find a job and to help her get legal advice.
NG: My friend and I were outside a car garage waiting for her mother’s car to get repaired when we saw this young lady walking up the street. I turned to my friend and said, Oooh, I want to take a picture of her!”, I asked my friend to stop her and ask if it was okay to take her picture. My friend spoke to her in the local language. The lady was a bit apprehensive at first then she agreed.
The lady mentioned to my friend that she had just been fired from her work and she had no idea what she was going to do. It was a sad and tense moment. I could see the vulnerability in her eyes. My friend gave her encouraging words and I gave her money I had in my wallet.
OA: Whose work have you seen recently that moved?
NG: Yannis Davy Guibinga — I stumbled upon him while I was doing research on African artists. I was blown away by his work. We speak about similar topics in our work, such as the way in which Africa is represented by the Western world, and trying to change that. He is a self-taught photographer from Gabon, and his work focuses on African identities in the spectrum of exploring Gabonese youth.
OA: When did you discover you were an artist? How did your parents take it?
NG: I studied media with the intention of exploring photography when I was in South Africa between 2011-2013 but I was not happy at all soI left two years in and did a course in photography at an art school. I’ve always been interested in art, my dad is quite the creative. He does some photography, film, directing and music as a hobby.
I worked as a freelance photographer for a year before coming to the UK. My decision to leave for the UK really shocked my family. They have always supported my dreams but I think this was a difficult pill to swallow, mostly because of the money I needed. They eventually agreed and have remained super supportive.
I have always been interested in art. For as long as I can remember I’ve been drawn to the beauty in the different mediums of art. The way the light, shadows, shades and colours are used to portray a message really ignite my soul.
OA: What memories will forever resonate in your heart about your journey to Rwanda?
NG: The way in which I was welcomed in by my friend Sonia’s family. The sweet encounter with the people I captured — hearing their stories and simply being able to interact and relate with them in the simplest ways.
I’ll never forget the food — boy, did I eat! One meal consisted of at least five dishes and best believe when you visit people, saying you don’t want to eat is a big no no! AND you must have seconds. If you fail to comply to these simple rules, I guarantee, you will not be on your host’s good side.
The strongest memory is that of the memories I shared with my best friend. We went from a place of living together for four years, being engulfed in each other’s lives, as if we were one person, to not knowing when we will see each other again. It was painful saying goodbye, but I believe our deepest growth happens in the most uncomfortable situations.
Neo Gilder’s next exhibition will be on 28 February in Johannesburg at the Bag Factory. Follow Neo Gilder on Instagram or visit her website to see more wonderful works by the artist.