Pikin Slee: Viviane Sassen

Known for her unique approach to fashion photography, Viviane Sassen has taken yet another stylistic detour in her latest collection, which focuses on the inhabitants of a remote village on the Upper Suriname River. Sassen’s lens captures the natural beauty of the very traditional way of living, where mundane objects can appear extraordinary against the background of nature’s overwhelming presence. Largely shot in black-and-white, the informal photos also explore Sassen’s personal connection to the village, which is inhabited by the ancestors of former slaves who escaped Dutch rule. «This project is an exploration of the beauty of the everyday,» writes Sassen in her introduction, «an investigation of the sculptural qualities of the ordinary.» The many fans of this renowned photographer will find much to contemplate and savor in this latest collection by an artist who constantly challenges herself and her audience.