Photography

A Portrait of Dakar, Senegal

In 1990, I traveled to Dakar to work on a construction site, (at the time, I was employed in this type of labor), and I used the opportunity, not only to document the crew and job site, but to explore some of the culture.

Mid-afternoon breaks were necessary because of the oppressive heat; it was a different kind of heat than I had been accustomed to. We would gather to eat lunch from a communal bowl and, later in the day, prepare mint tea.

Public loudspeakers called men to prayer; I would watch them gather in the streets and bow to the east with an awe-inspiring unity. After prayer, a group would gather at the carpenter's atelier to drink powdered milk.

I found the people polite and friendly...and, perhaps just a bit curious about this Asian fellow who, for a short time, worked among them.

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