Female portraits have been one of my topics in recent years. I’ve been studying the female figure in daily chores. I value the everyday skills in sewing, baking, cutting hair or caring for the little ones. Or just being and chatting away the moment with colleagues, carrying oneself proudly or just just relaxing and taking a nap in the afternoon.

These images were exhibited at Global Mix -group exhibition at Creative Arts Centre Mylly in Kuopio 29.8-26.9.2014. The images were taken in two Namibian locations: in Katutura, Windhoek and in Keetmanshoop in Southern Namibia in Nama people’s traditional region.

For me, these encounters with local women going about with their business have been quite remarkable. In Keetmanshoop a group of local women asked me to visit en elderly “meme”, in her house. They wanted me to portrait her to cheer her up. Her husband had passed away and she was in mourning. She was still thinking how to process this. I still remember the moment of quietness, subtle smile and peaceful moment.

We women are beautiful with our shapes and colors in the simple or complicated way we are. This process of portraying others has helped me to portray myself. In 2016 I took a series of self portraits for “Women living in the edges of the world” artistic research project.