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And there it was, amid the absence as a savanna. Hidden among rough rocks, among weeds and trees scattered starving the hot plains. Under a blazing sun hammering the senses. No rest, no mercy. A million light years from known safety and comfort. In Africa, always in Africa. Always in the distance, always in the middle of nowhere.

The hole, "le trou ".
Wandering of battered bodies out of necessity. Burly, sweaty, hungry. Men, women, children. Many children. Too many. Back in the harsh and inhospitable place of grief.
There are places in this sometimes beautiful planet that we live fighting for survival and it becomes simply too hard and pointless. The hole. Wandering frantic bodies in and out of the depths. No rest. Day and night. Eternal. Endless. Heat, stones and more stones. Hours and hours. Tons of red dirt coming out relentlessly from the bowels of the earth. The sound of improvised mortar fills the air, surely. Blimmmm blimmm blimmm... Stones and more stones. Hits and more hits. Blimmm blimmm blimmm... Sun. Heat. Holes and more holes. Earth and earth. Red like blood. Blimmm blimmm blimmm...

Sanna'm. "Gold" in Mòoré language of the Mossi tribe.
Sanna'm. It is very difficult to describe what it means for the inhabitants of the hole, the meaning of that unknown word for me. Life, food, comfort, hunger, sweat, tears... death. All for a handful of gold dust with which to feed the family. Taken with much sweat inside frayed pockets of gladiators in the caverns. Climbing barefoot through the narrow passages of the underworld about to succumb. From hundreds of feet deep. Playing and gambling with death about to collapse. Hours and hours of work into the abyss devoid of fresh air, light, security. Without eating. Almost without drinking. Only hitting the wall of the hole. With eyes dilated about to explode for the elusive glow of a piece of stone. Hour after hour. Day after day. Endless.
Blimmm blimmm blimmm...
Constant hammering. In search of precious golden granites . Ascension of the underworld. Again and again. Constant hammering. Sweat. Hunger. Perennial cough. Disease. Absence, pain... death.

Sanna'm.
Gold.
Somewhere beyond the harsh and inhospitable plains full of rocks...

… A great light at the end of the tunnel.

About author:

Since the mid-90s he has always been involved with the photographic medium: Founds and chairs “Nostromo” Photographers Association (Spain). Professor (over fifteen years) of photography: University of Cantabria (Spain), American University UAM (Nicaragua), Central American University UCA (Nicaragua), Caribbean University URACCAN (Nicaragua), Cantabrian Government and Santander City Hall (Spain)… He writes about photography in different publications. Publisher in “Xplorer” Magazine (Nicaragua). Free-lance photographer for several International News Agencies. General Manager Xtreme Photo WS (Burkina Faso, Africa)…

In 2003 he founds, and since then he presides, the NGO OASIS.

He has exhibited (more than eighty exhibitions) his work in Galleries and Museums.

Prizes and Grants (selection):
Direct Look. 1st Problem Category, 2016
Direct Look. 3rd Conflict Category, 2016
Photography Grant. Story Nominee (Sannám), 2016
Photography Grant. Story Nominee (Sorcière), 2016
Platja d’Aro. HM, 2016
Rivne Photographic Arts Cup. Gold Medal, 2016
Odessa/Batumi Photo Days, 2016
Indian Photography Festival, 2016
Siena International Photo Awards. HM, 2016
Siena International Photo Awards. RA, 2016
Alfred Fried Photography Award. Finalist, 2016
The Other Hundred Educators. Finalist, 2016
Moscow International Foto Awards. HM, 2016
Grand Prize HIPA. 2016
III Documentary Photography Days. 2016
Photo Nikon Pro. HM, 2015
Pictures of the Year, POYLatam 2015
Felix Schoeller Photo Award. Nominee, 2015
II International Digital Biennial Photojournalism. FIAP HM, 2015
International Image Festival, Finalist, FINI 2015
CFC Silver Medal 2015
Grand Prix of the Humanity Photo Awards 2013 - UNESCO/CFPA
Documentary Award. Humanity Photo Awards 2013
International Documentary Photo Award GEA PHOTOWORDS (2012)
REVELA International Photo Award (2012)
FIAP’s and CEF’s Silver Medal. “A World for All: Overcoming disabilities” (2012)
Latin-American Documentary Photo Award (2010)
Cantabria´s Government Grant of Arts (2001-2005)
III Fotoencontres del Espai de la Fotografía de Valencia Grant (2000)
National Photo Award to Young Artist (INJUVE, Madrid) (97)
…

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