Shoulder Exposed for the King, Ghana 2014
It's equal parts travel and sartorial inspiration
Many people in North America only dream of visiting destinations like Benin, Senegal, and Ethiopia. But just because you don’t have a plane ticket, it doesn't mean you can’t experience the beauty and allure of these African countries.
“Circadian Landscapes,” a new photography book from Brooklyn-based shutterbug Jessica Antola, takes readers to wanderlust-inspiring locales around sub-Saharan Africa, from the street markets in Ghana to the tropical forests of Togo and the river banks of Côte d’lvoire. Equally as captivating as these vivid backdrops, though, are the fashionable locals who take center stage in Antola’s photographs.
“The project was inspired by the people I encountered on my travels,” said Antola. “I was most interested in the ways people create and define their identities through dress and other everyday rituals.”
The result is a nonlinear collection of photographs of various locations in seven different countries, featuring people carrying out everyday activities — doing laundry, wrestling on the beach, taking part in religious ceremonies, and selling their wares on the street.
It’s these quotidian moments that inspired the title of the book, which references the Circadian rhythm, the biological process that recurs naturally on a 24-hour cycle.
“Life in many of the places I visited revolves around the hours of the day between sunrise and sunset,” said Antola. “‘Circadian Landscape’ is my way of honoring those quotidien but wondrous moments.”
