Her: Flora & Tamil Nadu
35mm film photographsSelected images from the cycle, 2017-present
In 2017, Johanna visited the South Indian region of Tamil Nadu for the first time. She returned in 2018 and 2019. Through her camera lens, Johanna initiated a photographic cycle documenting local women's collective and cultural relationships with flora.
The language of flowers forms in itself an integral part of South India's rich culture. For centuries flowers have played an essential role in the daily life of South Indian women, be it for religious, spiritual, medicinal, culinary, social or commercial purposes. Each bloom, including jasmine, rose, marigold, hibiscus and violet, is sold in the street and worn in simple yet intricate hairstyles for its personal quality and symbolism, among which love, happiness, prosperity and luck. This series of photographs equally lingers on the flower vendors, which for most are females.
