Senescence

I hope that by looking at these photographs you feel like you are visiting your own grandparents, and have an opportunity to celebrate them. May you look at these images and relive the moments within the stories shared, whilst discovering the spaces in which they express themselves.

In society today it is often seen that individuals who grow older are cast aside and placed into Care Centers and Old Age Homes.

Instead of excluding them we should be celebrating them.

The initial idea behind this project was to go visit the Old Age Home, "Huis Vergenoegd" located in Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa and photograph my gran and her dearest friends for them to fill the photo frames in their apartments.

Upon my first visit the residents of "Huis Vergenoegd" all aged between 80 and 100 captured my heart with the stories they had to share, their joy, wisdom, humor and creativity. I frequently return and this is a collection of moments & stories collected throughout these visits.

The project is executed through the use of 35mm film in order to make the subjects relate and feel comfortable with the medium, and in doing so creating photographs that are as authentic as possible.

I hope that by looking at these photographs you feel like you are visiting your own grandparents, and have an opportunity to celebrate them. May you look at these images and relive the moments within the stories shared, whilst discovering the spaces in which they express themselves.