PG_Portfolio 2020_SPEOS

por t f ol i o

par aggopal e speci al i sat i on:phot oj our nal i sm & document ar yphot ogr aphy speospar i s-ecol edephot ogr aphi e cl ass2020

noonegoesf orl ove Ni el sMol bæk,aDani shdi vor cee& f at her ,meet sSommaiKhamsi ngnok,apoorThai mot herof4ki ds,wor ki ngasasexwor keratagogobari nPat t aya,i nt hespr i ngof1991.

Theyt al k,hespendst heni ghtwi t hherandshespendst her emai ni ngni nedaysofhi s vacat i onwi t hhi m.Ont hewayt ot heai r por t ,shor t l yaf t ersayi nggoodbye,her eal i zes t hathehasf al l eni nl ove.Ayearl at er ,onFebr uar y28,1992,t heygetmar r i ed.

Sommaisays," WhenImetNi el s,i twasn' taboutl ove,Ihadt owor kandmakemoney . " ForSommai ,herf ami l yi sever yt hi ng."

Imi ssedmychi l dr ensomuchwhenIcamet o Denmar k, "shesays," butIwasr eadyt odoever yt hi ngIcoul dt ohel pt hem haveabet t er l i f e. " “ Al t houghl ovei sneededi namar r i age,i t ’ snotneededf orusandt hewomenwhogo.

Wegot ohel pourf ami l yandour sel ves.Wedon’ tneedt hem t ol ovej ustus,butt ol ove andhel pourf ami l yaswel l .Wedon’ tgobecauseofl ove" ,saysSommaiMol bæk. ( mar ch2020.t hi st ed,denmar k . )

‘ Noonegoesf orl ove’i st hej our neyofSommaiMol bæk-aThaiwoman,and Ni el sMol bæk-aDani shman,whogotmar r i edt hr eedecadesagot of i l lt hegaps i nt hei rr espect i vel i ves.

Today ,Ni el s( age75)andSommai ( age68)l i vei nt hei rhousei nThi st ed,i nt heThy r egi onofDenmar k.I ti sabout9000km awayf r om Sommai ’ svi l l agei nThai l and.

A communi t yofThaiwomeni sf or medi nThy .Sommaiest i mat est hatt her ear e ar ound900.Shei st heonewhot r i gger edt hi sdevel opment .Af ewyear saf t erher ar r i val ,shest ar t edmat chi ngDani shmenwi t hThaiwomen.Theyset upupt o t hr eecoupl esannual l y ."

Themenher ear el onel y , "Nei l ssays.TheThaiwomen woul dnotnecessar i l yl ovet heDani shmenbutwoul dwantt ol eaveThai l andt o wor kandear nmoney ."

Thewomenar ehappi erandt hemenar ehappi er .

"Hesees not hi ngcondemnabl eaboutt hi s.

Evenaf t er28year sofl i f ei nDenmar k,Sommai Mol bækt hi nksaboutmovi ngback t oThai l andsomeday .Ni el shopest hatshest ayswi t hhi mt i l lhei sal i ve.

Themostr ecentcoupl et hatt heMol bĂŚksbr oughtt oget heri s Er nstSt ef anson( age68)andRat t anaChi suk( age39) .

MongNi el sen( Sommai ’ sni ece)hasbeenmar r i edt oJohnNi el senf or 16year s.

changi ng

A vi sualj our nalofmemor y ,exper i ence andt r ansi t i onbasedont heever yday . . . . peopl e, chaos, moment s of peace, pl acesknownandunknown,t hef eel i ng ofl osti nnovel t y . . . .seeni nt hecont extof t heci t yofmypastt ot heci t yofpr esent .

An at t emptt of i nd t he muse i n Par i s, somet hi ngt hatBombayi st ome.

t hemuse

20172019

2019-ongoi ng

I nBr oadDayl i ght TheBoi sdeBoul ognear oundt hewest per i pher i queofPar i s,i si nf amousf ori t ’ s pr ost i t ut i on.Commer ci al sexwor ker sf l ock ar ound t he edge oft he r oadst o at t r act cust omer s.Thecust omer sar et ak eni nt oa makeshi f tt entmade f r om t ar paul i n and somet r eebr anches.Peopl el i vi ngi nand ar oundPar i sar eawar eaboutwhat happenst her eatni ght .

Butwhatdoes t he pl ace l ook l i ke i n br oaddayl i ght ?

Mycur i os i t yl ed me t o wal kar ound and phot ogr apht hes emakes hi f tt ent sdur i ng t he mor ni ng,bef or et he commer ci alsex act i vi t i esbegan. ( Febr uar y2020-ongoi ng)

t hankyou.

i am ani ndi anphot ogr apherbas ed outofpar i s. mywor ki sasear chf orst or i es , i nci dent s,peopl eandt hi ngst hr ough whi chIt r yt of i ndt hemeani ngof ’ sl i ceofl i f e’ .

al l phot ogr aphs© par aggopal e

cont acti nf or mat i on: bl ackandwhi t ewal a. com gpar ag89@gmai l . com i nst agr am:@bl ackandwhi t ewal a