DIGITAL UP MAGAZINE DIGITAL PROMO Tahir Carl Karmali Jua Kali In his ongoing exhibition from February 4th to March 26th 2016, displayed at United Photo Industries in Brooklyn, the visual artist Tahir Carl Karmali, originally from Kenya, explores the Jua Kali world. The photographic portraits pay tribute to precarious workers who labor under blistering daytime conditions. Originally, the Swahili term Jua Kali stands for ‘’Fierce Sun,’’ but its contemporary meaning has broadened to hardworking men and women who live in an unstable economy. “Jua Kali earn their livelihood by creating something new from things others have discarded. They scavenge local dumps for materials, then sell their work,” says Tahir. Tahir Carl Karmali’s artistic approach is unusual mixed media photography, combining scrap material and Adobe Photoshop postproduction. His portrayed models are bold African people, who fight and struggle every day, still they are proud and fearless. Karmali explains: “I am trying to describe Kenya and, moreover, Africa as a place of innovation and imagination”. Surreal, yet hyper real portraits trigger our imagination. People depicted in Tahir Carl Karmali’s photos seem half human – half robotic. Each portrait has its own strong and striking personality. “The images intimate the idea of found objects as personal adornment, creating a synergy of circuits and flesh that elevate the subject to superhuman status.” (United Photo Industries)