SERIES ART:
Photography by Raissa Karama Rwizibuka.
Artist Statement
My name is Karama Rwizibuka Raïssa, I am a free-lance photojournalist and storyteller from Eastern Congo. I was born and raised in South-Kivu during the Congolese war, now I am based in the city of Bukavu. In 2015, I got in touch with photography which quickly became my passion and escape. In short, with my photos I could finally express myself, got to know me and learned to be bold. Being a photographer allowed me to become an independent woman who can be a role model and support other women and my family. Now, I can share the stories my fellow Congolese and I myself have experienced such as malnutrition, sexual violence, cultural diversity, or the role and force of Congolese women. For me, photography is an essential tool for the transformation of humans, and for the change of mentality in society. Through it I want to show another image of African and Congolese youth.
In 2020 I participated in CONGO IN CONVERSATION, a collaborative reportage produced by Finabarr O’Reilly (laureate of the 11th edition of the Carmignac Photojournalism Award) in close cooperation with Congolese journalists and photographers. My photographs have been published internationally and exhibited as part of the project in Paris, Antwerp, Brussels, and New York.
