Custom And Culture Exhibition Excites Village Children

Village children

2008-11-21 07:13:16 - In Port Vila, Vanuatu, a black and white photograph exhibition of Ben Bohane's work, revealed a different way of life to children from a local village.

The children from a local village on the tropical island of Vanuatu, enjoyed the recently black and white photographic exhibition, ‘Black Islands Custom and Conflict', displayed in the Cultural Center, Port Vila, in the South Pacific.

Ben Bohane is a well known Australian photo-journalist. His exhibition is made up of images of conflict and custom throughout areas of the South Pacific and East Asia region. Ben has been making additions to his collection since 1989.

Ben has been a witness to almost every major conflict in the areas of Bougainville, East Timor, Solomon Islands, the South Pacific, Moluccu, West Papua, PNG, Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia. He took hold of opportunity to record these events, as being a Blue Moon Opportunity, (an opportunity that comes your way once in a lifetime).

Ben has had the privilege to stay for extended lengths of time, living with a wide range of tribal, custom, cult and rebel groups. He was able to travel with Guadalcanal guerrillas, as well as photographing the opposing side, Malaita Eagle Force. Ben was the only person to secure and record an interview of the Guadalcanal warlord, Harold Keke, prior to his surrender to troops from Australia.

This independent recording, through contemporary photographs, of the conflicts of the South Pacific, has given Ben the right to claim ownership of the world's largest archive. His black and white photographs are highly emotive and sensitive and have been exhibited world wide. Many private collectors are proud to be owners of some of Ben's photographs.

Ben resides in Port Vila and continues to concentrate his work in the South Pacific region. His photographs have been shown in exhibitions in Holland and Cambodia, Australia and Washington. His work also appears in a wide array of magazines: The Guardian, (UK), Newsweek, Geo in France, Aera (Japan), Pacific magazine (Hawaii), besides being placed in a wide variety of Australian publications. Ben had produced documentaries which have been viewed on SBS Australia, the ABC, BBC and ARD, Germany and NHK, Japan. Ben also regularly produces items on Pacific issues for ABC's Foreign Correspondent.

In Vanuatu, where education is not free and 25% of the young generation never go to school, it is tremendous to see the children interested in Ben's work.

You can find out more about Ben's work, by contacting the cultural center pima@vanuatu.com.vu or look up their website culturepacific.org.