Juxtapoz Magazine – From Africa to China with Pieter Hugo

Pieter Hugo is probably best known for his brutally frank portraits of his “kin,” mainly the Afrikaners of South Africas post-apartheid era. Later on, his portraits of Nigerian gangs wielding chained hyenas in intimidating poses brought international recognition. Traversing Africa, clearly unafraid to venture out to areas earlier closed to South African passport holders, Pieter has shot starkly direct portraits of young and old, often against a backdrop of ravaged landscapes and still life images. His photo work includes Rwandan children a decade after the genocide; Ghanaian city workers at toxic recycling dumps; Ghanas rural wild honey collectors, donning make-shift tree leaves against dangerous bee stings; South Africans with albinism; and, intimate looks at family and friends, as well as self-portraits.