Photographer #362: Araminta de Clermont

Araminta de Clermont, 1971, UK, is a documentary photographer who has created several bodies of work in South-Africa. In her series Before Life she portrayed girls on the Cape Flats, an area full of problems as poverty, crime, teenage pregnancies, drug addiction and gangs. The girls are all dressed up for their Matric Dance, a South African tradition for graduating 12th grade. These girls are often the first matriculants of their family, having been disadvantaged by the apartheid era. In Life After she focused on the tattoos and lives of South-Africa's prison gangs after having been released into society. The men have often been imprisoned for many years, if not decades. The tattoo's, forbidden in the prison system, show life stories, hierarchy, testimonies and personal statements. Araminta has worked a lot for the life style section of The Sunday Times in South Africa and has exhibited her work in a few solo and several group exhibitions. The following images come from the series Before Life, Life After and A new Beginning.

Website: www.aramintadeclermont.com