Joël Tettamanti is a photographer and graphic designer based in Switzerland. He travels to remote places around the world for his photographic stories and captures what he sees – ordinary objects, landscapes and buildings that others would pass without noticing. The focus of his work is the human presence in the landscape and the people who are uplifted and sometimes defeated by the land they inhabit. Today we share Joël’s series titled Kobo.
Kobo
“Lesotho is a kingdom in the Maloti mountains. It has always been independent from South Africa. The Basotho have always rejected the others from invading them because they are in the mountains. The KOBO (blanket) is a very interesting piece of fabric. It has replaced the original skins that the inhabitants of that region were wearing before the colonies arrived.
They exchanged skins and furs with fabrics. There is a lot to read in books, but I was attracted by the idea that a very European product has replaced the original traditional outfits. I grew up in Lesotho as a child. My parents were working and living there for some years. I am very linked to that place even though that it has changed so much…”
To view more of Joël’s work, Please visit his website.