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Photo Stories
I
t’s been a busy year for photographers
Bénédicte Kurzen and Sanne de Wilde.
Collaborating for the fi rst time on their
project, Land of Ibeji, they have been
decorated with a range of awards. I fi rst saw
them at the World Press Photo Awards,
where they picked up fi rst prize in the
Portraits, Stories category. They would later
be shortlisted for the Zeiss Photography Award
at the Sony World Photography Awards.
Land of Ibeji documents the mythology of
twinhood in Nigeria, specifi cally Yorubaland,
an area which has ten times more twins than
any other region in the world. The term ‘Ibeji’
in Yoruba means ‘double birth’ or ‘the
inseparable two’.
Twinhood is something that has not always
been celebrated in Africa. Although in some
areas it is considered lucky, in others it is
seen as anything but. Indeed, in some
communities, twins were historically killed
at birth. The belief was that one of the
infants was a ‘devil child’ and with no way to
determine which child had been fathered by
Satan, both would either be abandoned or
killed. In the Nigerian city of Calabar, a statue
commemorates Mary Slessor, a Scottish
Presbyterian missionary who saved hundreds
of abandoned twins and eventually stopped
the practice of twin infanticide.
Kurzen and De Wilde were both very
conscious of approaching this topic as white
Western women, and by defi nition, outsiders.
De Wilde says, ‘We both understand that
there are particularly sensitive issues in Africa
around which stories are being told, by whom
and how. To be aware of that phenomenon is
the fi rst step. To us, coming from a place of
love, for the land, for the people, for the arts,
it feels like – in our own visual way – paying
tribute to the beauty of the place, its history
and its future.’
The duo were careful to do extensive
research before starting the project, images
for which were all captured between April
and December 2018. It was also important
to form close ties to those involved. De Wilde
explains, ‘We prepared the project in Lagos,
talking to people with knowledge of the
Yoruba culture who helped us fi gure out
which direction to take before moving deeper
into the country to see the stories unfold.‘We often grew very close to the people
we were working with or staying with in a
relatively short amount of time. Parents of the
twins would sometimes call us days after the
shoot to ask if we got home safely. Travelling
through Nigeria you’ll fi nd that people are
very considerate and caring, without even
knowing you, wanting to make sure you
are safe and happy.’Two of a kind
It’s relatively rare for two photographers
to collaborate on a single project, so I
was curious to discover more about that
process. ‘Initially, we saw ourselves as two
photographers with a very different style. But
our intuitive approach, our human interest
and the way we connect to people is very
similar,’ says De Wilde. ‘Practically as the
project developed further, we found that
our photography was merging more and
more. Someone would fi nish what the other
started – we would hand over the camera
while shooting. The idea was to let go of a
sense of ownership completely, seeing this
as work made by “us”.’
Several photographic techniques were
used to refl ect and emphasise the theme
of twinhood, or duality. Some images feature
double exposures, while others use two
different coloured fi lters. The idea was
to amplify the fact that it was two
photographers, two individuals, two
identities or two perceptions.
Supported by Nikon, the Nikon D850 was
used extensively, as well as the newer Nikon
Z 7. Understandably, both photographers use
the same cameras for ease of collaboration.
De Wilde tends to stick with a relatively simple
24-70mm set up, while Kurzen is more likely
to switch lenses, being a big fan of the AF-S
Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G ED and AF-S Nikkor
58mm f/1.4G.
It’s clear that the project is making an
impact, picking up plenty of plaudits and
attention. De Wilde says, ‘We hope the Ibeji
project will inspire others. We would love
for Nigerian artists to contribute from their
perspective and expand on the project. The
hope is that in the long run people – inside
and outside of Nigeria – can share their
experience and make it part of the story.’Double take
An award-winning project explores twinhood in
Nigeria – more twins live there than anywhere
else in the world. Amy Davies discovers more Bénédicte
Kurzen and
Sanne de
Wilde
Bénédicte Kurzen is a French
photographer, based in Lagos,
Nigeria. Sanne de Wilde is from
Belgium and currently lives in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Their project, Land of Ibeji, has
won a number of awards and
has been exhibited several
times. A book on the project
is expected for release in
September. See the project
at worldpressphoto.org.