Time to change, vote to change, this motto has been the core of the 2015 election campaigning of the National League for Democracy (NLD) lead by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi; a change towards democracy after more than 50 years of military dictatorship. During the past elections held on November 8th 2015 the people of Burma had free elections after long time and decided to support their "Mother" Aung San Suu Kyi. Unfortunately the chance to cast their vote and change their future was not guaranteed to everyone, in fact it was negate to the ethnic minority of the Muslim Rohingya from Rakhine State. Rohingya people have been living in Rakhine State since 16th century when the first Muslims have settled there. Denied citizenship, employment, health care and adequate food; discriminated against in law and policy; confined to camps and ghettos; subject to turture and extortion; and living under the daily threat of violence, the very existence of the Rohingya is precarious.
"Utopia lies at the horizon. When I draw nearer by two steps, it retreats two steps. If I proceed ten steps forward, it swiftly slips ten steps ahead. No matter how far I go, I can never reach it. What, then, is the purpose of utopia? It is to cause us to advance” (E.Galeano). Photography represents the way how I proceed towards the horizon and strongly helps me to advance and see reality. I am a documentarist and utopia defines myself. I do photography for people, they inspire me with their humanity and passionate me with their stories that are, at the very end, the stories of all human beings, people help me to not forget that we are all the same. People kind investigation is the way I mean photography, pure reportage without intent, interaction without interference, the image as fact and as perspective. Photography is the medium through which I witness my present and see the world following different point of views such as injustice, misery, resilience, joy, which all focus human existence.
Rick Mave (b. 1982, Italy) is a documentary photographer based in Italy. He worked for several years in the cinema industry, camera department, before starting a photography career inspired by a deep interest in social and environmental issues and human existence. He holds a degree in Sciences of Communication achieved at the University of Perugia (Italy) and a Master degree in Camera and Lighting earned at Septima Ars, School of Cinema and TV in Madrid (Spain). He studied photography at FORMA, International Centre of Photography in Milan (Italy).
Currently in Italy.
+39 388.499.3049 Rome
+44 752.692.6340 London
rickmave@hushmail.com
www.rickmave.com
Make Comment/View Comments
