Ikinga

In late 2013, photographer Stephan Wu?rth embarked on a whirlwind, two-day road trip, winding his way across Burundi, a small landlocked nation in the heart of East Africa. Snapping images on a hidden iPhone during his journey, Wu?rth portrays everyday life in the impoverished country, from the bustling open-air markets of its capital, Bujumbura, to the plantations of sweet banana and coffee deep in the country’s foothills. The photographs highlight the integral role the bicycle—or ikinga—plays in Burundi’s culture. With a candid eye that recalls Walker Evans’ surreptitious subway shots of New York in the 1930s, Wu?rth’s photographs reveal a lively, resourceful, and entrenched bicycle culture that is vital not only to Burundi’s economy, but also to the daily survival of its countrymen. At times playful and intimate, 'Ikinga' is a bold meditation upon the power of creativity and improvisation during times of great difficulty.