Ali Haydar Yeşilyurt

ALİ HAYDAR YEŞİLYURT

HEART OF AFRICA

My days in Africa were the turning point in my life. Whatever I was worried about before that trip, didn’t compare to what I saw. I came to the conclusion they were not a problem.

This is a geography where electricity is given only four hours a day, only to 1.5% of the population. The villages on which gold mines have been exploited by imperial powers throughout history and have been torn apart by wars amongst each other. Horrified faces that you've never seen anywhere before....

When you open the map, Chad stands in the middle of Africa. At the beginning of my journey I thought I was going to the core of Africa. On the way back, I felt as though I had left the heart of Africa behind me.

I doubt I can reach a level of Diane Arbus’ delicacy. As a photographer I have learnt so much from her work, but have payed extra attention to the way she acts and treats her models and people she works with. I burn with the desire to find the beauty in what society calls "outsiders". I am looking for flowers even in the coldest winter days. Every color I see is like a sibling to me...

Ali Haydar Yesilyurt