photography award 2025
After twenty years spent abroad without ever returning to her native country, Emmanuelle Andrianjafy initiated this project as a way of questioning the link she maintains with Madagascar, where her parents still live. Her childhood was marked by memories of tensions, both internal and external. For a long time, these frustrations prevented her from photographing her country. With the benefit of hindsight, she is now taking a fresh look at her parents, the places of her past and her own current presence.
The project began in 2018. She returned to Madagascar several times, taking the time to immerse herself in each place before capturing the images.
Her slow, introspective approach favors attentive observation over immediate gesture. This work constitutes both a personal testimony and a broader reflexion on exile, identity and family ties across distance.
Now in the final phase of creation, the photographer wishes to conclude this journey by refocusing on her parents and her intimate circle. She also plans to extend her research to East Africa, notably in the mountainous regions of Kenya's neighboring countries, where she has found a refuge conducive to silence and calm.
