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Whispers from the Mountains*
Beyond the cacophony of beads and colors in the clothing of the Flower Hmong women at the Bac Ha market in the northwest Lao Cai Province of Vietnam, one is struck by their lovely countenance and obvious strength. And the Black Hmong women in nearby Sapa share that same notable countenance and strength, even if their fashions differ.
Their strength is clearly physical, a product of residing in mountainous regions, and toiling in remote rural farming areas, as well an underlying strength of family and community connections.
The privilege of being able to photograph people of vastly disparate cultures and identities cannot be overstated. It is the jumping off point to understanding how different and yet the same all people are – making a living, taking pride in what is presented as one’s own to share and sell, holding family connections most dear. It is my intention with these images to draw the viewer into lives that are worlds away and show the initially unfamiliar, that upon closer reflection has aspects very familiar indeed.
*The title Whispers from the Mountains comes from a statement made by Mainong Yang, a young Hmong American woman. She said, ”(It) represents where the Hmong people live in Asia, the voice of Hmong women, how we don’t have to be loud to be heard and how we have kept our culture and traditions in a changing world”.