Bright sunrises and warm sunsets; crowded, thriving, and vibrant markets selling vegetables, meat, and seafood; cafés, bars and nightclubs patronised by a diverse citizenry; tall high-rises in quiet uptown neighbourhoods, art deco houses dotting the suburban landscapes, and seaside bungalows nestled close to the sea; and, of course, the capulanas and the accompanying flamboyant fashion—Maputo is drenched in colour, vivid and rich.
With the gluttonous saturation of colour in the world, I reduce a photograph to black and white as a way of heightening its viewing sensation, forcing the viewer to imagine the colours. Three men on the shore dragging in a boat; a man at a market; the city at an unknown time of the day; pedestrians crossing a street—what is the true colour of these images?
The viewer, as always, decides.
Eduardo Mondlane is a Mozambican photographer based in Maputo.