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ALL IMAGES © ANNE HELENE GJELSTAD
ÔI
t’s important for photographers
everywhere that we fi nd our style,
fi nd what we love to do. If you don’t
fi nd such a project, you wouldn’t go
through with it. You need to care deeply. It
makes my heart sing.’
Award-winning Norwegian photographer
Anne Helene Gjelstad is talking about her
reportage and book, Big Heart, Strong Hands
published by Dewi Lewis. For several weeks at
a time over 11 years, she has fastidiously
documented the unique matriarchal society of
old women living on the islands Kihnu and
Manija, teardrops of mainland Estonia, isolated
in the Baltic Sea.
Anne Helene, with 25 years’ experience in
fashion and design, had an idea for a book
photographing the islanders and their
handicrafts. While she was there, an old lady
died and she was asked to photograph her
funeral. ‘That changed everything, the
handicrafts then became only a part of the
project, the old ladies became the most
important part,’ explains Anne Helene from
her mountain home south of Oslo, the city
where she grew up.
Shortly after turning 50, Anne Helene
turned to photography. In 2007 she was
accepted on a two-year course at the
prestigious Bilder Nordic School of Photography
in Oslo. ‘When I started at the school I was
older than the mothers of some of my
classmates. I thought “I cannot learn this in 20
years, I have to learn now!”’ She learnt quickly
photographing Big Heart, Strong Hands. In the
beginning, there were lots of unsharp images,
not realising she had to use a fast shutter.Inspiration
As well as from the school, guidance came
from photographers Mary Ellen Mark and Cig
Harvey. ‘Mary Ellen encouraged me to take
portraits in landscape format which made a
huge change. I could include much more of the
rooms and surroundings, everything that is
interesting and not only a face.’ Towards the
end of the project, Cig advised Anne Helene
she had to go back in winter as she only had
sunny pictures. ‘Of course she was right, so I
pushed myself to go back. I needed to show
the really harsh conditions of old women out in
the snow.’ The pictures made a signifi cantdifference and Anne Helene felt that she was
ready to start putting the book together and
looking for a publisher.
Men are fl eeting guests in the story, the
images of Big Heart, Strong Hands are all about
the old women. Captured in natural light on
Canon and Nikon cameras, the lines on their
faces are as detailed and cracked as the
homes they live in. Their traditional dress have
patterns of vibrant fl owers, stripes and swirls
that would inspire Op artist, Bridget Riley.
Their Estonian blue eyes look deep into the
past, an often diffi cult one of war, Soviet
occupation, economic crisis, extreme weather,
alcoholism and a depleted population as the
island’s youth seek out opportunities on the
mainland and abroad. ‘It’s understandable, if
you want to stay on the island you have to
earn money. You can’t live off the farms any
more. In the Soviet times you could have a
cow, have milk everyday and some of the
women were even able to build a house from
the money they earned from one cow. So it’s
not possible for this old kind of life any more,’
clarifi es Anne Helene.Disappearing
Around 35 women were photographed – not
all of them are in the book and now maybe
only ten are left. ‘That’s the hard part, I care so
much for these ladies, now they are
disappearing and dying.’ Speaking a little
German and Estonian, utilising local
interpreters and using lots of hand gestures
and hugs, Anne Helene made sure their stories
would survive and inspire future generations.
‘The writing has been very important, to be
able to address the old women directly. I got to
learn they have been working hard their whole
lives because the men go to sea, they need to
plough the fi elds, to learn everything
themselves, it’s a not-giving-up-culture for
them, doing the best they can.’
And that can be applied to Anne Helene’s
photography. She has worked hard, didn’t
give up and has done the best she can to
preserve a tradition and culture away from the
city lives of big business and bottomless
brunches. Inevitably, if you visit Kihnu and
Manija today, you will see they have adapted
their identity and customs for new
occupation of the island – tourism.H a n d c r a ft e d
A new book explores a society of strong
matriarchs in Estonia. Peter Dench chats with
the photographer to fi nd out more
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