Mercredi 01 Avril 2015 10:26:13 par Paulina Gautier-mons dans Expositions

Meeri Koutaniemi (b.1987) is a Finnish freelance photographer currently based in Kuusamo,

Finland. Koutaniemi’s photographic work focuses on her interest in political and social issues such as human rights and ethnic minorities. In 2012 Koutaniemi was selected as the Finnish Photographer of the Year after winning in five different categories including Photo of the Year and Foreign Reportage of the year. The next year she received the Memorial Award of Carina Appel in Finland and the Memorial Award of Tim Hetherington in the United States. In 2014 she renewed her title as the Photographer of the Year. Koutaniemi is represented by the Italian photo agency Echo and is part of the Finnish group of photographers Yksitoista.

Taken presents Koutaniemi’s latest work in the frame of her ongoing project concerning female genital mutilation. The exhibition presents a photo essay of the traditional cutting of Isina and Nasirian, two teenage girls from a Kenyan Maasai-tribe. Even though Kenya has banned female genital mutilation, some tribes still practice the tradition and consider it as an honourable maturation ritual of young girls. The tradition stems from the belief that women’s sexual organs are impure and that the cutting prevents unwanted sexual behaviour, encouraging to premarital virginity and martial fidelity. Over 140 million women around the world have gone through the same procedure that is a widely judged violation of women’s sexual independence and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. Female genital mutilation still takes place in over 29 countries worldwide and over 30 million girls are at risk if current trend persists.

Taken has won the international Visa d’or - Daily Press Award 2014 in France and the Freelens Award at the Lumix Foto Festival in Germany. In October, the works were presented at the Italian Festival della fotografia etica. The project aims for a publication dedicated to the daily struggles of women who have undergone the procedure with irreversible consequences.

The exhibition is realized in cooperation with Unicef Hungary, International Business School Budapest and Finnagora.

Curated by Saskia Suominen