Nomas* Projects / Art, Dundee

For all those ...

Exhibition Statement

For all those killed and affected by historic and ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Palestine, and other forgotten crises across the world, and for all those suffering from exploitation at the hands of the international mining industry is a series of photos taken in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and dedicated to the people there suffering as a result of human rights abuse that goes largely unnoticed by the world at large, and for all those affected by conflict globally.

The series examines materiality in a very real sense, showcasing the labour that people undertake and the physical impact of this in order to supply resources to international mining and technology companies. These resources - such as cobalt, an essential component within electric car batteries - end up in our own smartphones, laptops, and electric cars as the result of an exploitative process dictated by these companies. The mining environments they operate often involve child labour, forced labour, and put women at serious risk. Local miners are paid next to nothing for their work, often less than a few dollars per day, and live in extreme poverty - while these companies generate revenue in the billions. In recent years, companies like Apple, Google, Dell, Microsoft, and Tesla have been taken to court for their role in the deaths of children in their supply chains in the DRC - where children are said to have been engaging in back-breaking work for under $2 a day with basic tools in dark, underground tunnels for companies like Glencore.

Artist's Bio Sophie is a humanitarian worker and artist working across mediums. She focuses on creating intuitively and from the subconscious with interests spanning science, technology, mythology, psychology, and linguistics. Due to her humanitarian background, social impact and justice feature heavily in her work.

Artist's Website

• instagram.com/sophie.suliman