A Woman sets the laundry out to dry in Papua, Indonesia The woman walks to the fence with a heavy load of washing to dry. On this day she has already walked miles to collect wood for the fires, prepared sweet potatoes for the family, tended the gardens and washed these clothes she now carries. It is a day like any other; it is 10 am and the rest of her work day lies in front of her. There is an exhaustion that lies deep within her but that exhaustion has come to define her and the strength in her hands, the perseverance in her spirit keeps her moving.
When we lived in Papua, Indonesia we spent some time in the interior in an area called Pyramid. I was wondering around one morning and I came across this very interesting fence. They make their fences with almost a thatched roof on top. This prevents some of the water from reaching the fence and slowing down the process of rot. I followed the fence for a while and up ahead I saw this woman putting out her wash. I loved the way that the fence draws your eye to the splash of colour represented by the woman and her clothes and the way that the tree frames the other side of the image.
-Russell Berg