By Javier de Blas in Tindouf, Algeria
Between February and March 2015 I spent a month living with a Sahrawi family in their "haima" in the refugee camps of Tindouf. Every Tuesday, I'm posting here the notes and sketches I made about daily life in the camps.
If there is any local word you don´t understand, please check in Local terminology post.
18 to 23.03.2015
Of the nicest things that happened to me in Dakhla, was getting to know Balali, an artist and self-taught electronic technician, with a lot of talent. I stood in front of a huge and accurate portrait painted on a wall from an ID photo, I asked him how he done it. He replied that he had begun with the hair and worked his way downwards (wow! What a mental sense of proportion!)
A colleague tells me that I have known how to "trick him" into entering his house, because he receives us at the door and is very reserved, no one believes that we can get past the entrance. And it is here that I propose that we draw each other's portraits. Portrait, tea, talk. Great. I stay another day because I want to draw him in his study, but this time he does not let me in, farther than his electronics workshop. So brings out several of his paintings, leaning them against the wall. He's an amazing guy.
On another occasion two brickies come up to me asking me to take a picture of them. But I draw them instead and their colleagues die of laughter with the resemblance. I have drawn them exactly as they are.
So I go back to visit Javier Arango, engrossed in his mural so I gave him a hand. I also draw a portrait of a security guard who thanks me so kindly.
.
Another day I draw some market traders and there is lots of fun with the similarities. Some young people invite me to tea and ask me to draw them as well, but when I go about colouring in, one of them has disappeared and he answers on the cell phone to use the colors I want.
I also stop to watch the distribution of butane bottles, the women rolling the bottles with their feet, the delivery cart and all that kind of stuff.
And with all that I end some delectable days in Dakhla.
Between February and March 2015 I spent a month living with a Sahrawi family in their "haima" in the refugee camps of Tindouf. Every Tuesday, I'm posting here the notes and sketches I made about daily life in the camps.
If there is any local word you don´t understand, please check in Local terminology post.
18 to 23.03.2015
Of the nicest things that happened to me in Dakhla, was getting to know Balali, an artist and self-taught electronic technician, with a lot of talent. I stood in front of a huge and accurate portrait painted on a wall from an ID photo, I asked him how he done it. He replied that he had begun with the hair and worked his way downwards (wow! What a mental sense of proportion!)
A colleague tells me that I have known how to "trick him" into entering his house, because he receives us at the door and is very reserved, no one believes that we can get past the entrance. And it is here that I propose that we draw each other's portraits. Portrait, tea, talk. Great. I stay another day because I want to draw him in his study, but this time he does not let me in, farther than his electronics workshop. So brings out several of his paintings, leaning them against the wall. He's an amazing guy.
On another occasion two brickies come up to me asking me to take a picture of them. But I draw them instead and their colleagues die of laughter with the resemblance. I have drawn them exactly as they are.
So I go back to visit Javier Arango, engrossed in his mural so I gave him a hand. I also draw a portrait of a security guard who thanks me so kindly.
.
Another day I draw some market traders and there is lots of fun with the similarities. Some young people invite me to tea and ask me to draw them as well, but when I go about colouring in, one of them has disappeared and he answers on the cell phone to use the colors I want.
I also stop to watch the distribution of butane bottles, the women rolling the bottles with their feet, the delivery cart and all that kind of stuff.
And with all that I end some delectable days in Dakhla.