Chapter Two – The Elder. A little into my stay in Son village I realised there was one person I had not seen working. Throughout the valley people were already busy. Buffalo moved slowly through flooded rice fields, children carried small bundles between the fields and adults disappeared into the surrounding
Observations from a mountain farming community. Chapter 1 - The Journey. In the summer of 2011 I spent several days in Son Village, a small farming community hidden deep in the mountains of north-west Vietnam. Rice planting—the second crop of the year—was underway. Across the small valley bowl
One of the pleasures of collecting is encountering an object that refuses easy classification. This small square warming vessel measures approximately 11.5 cm high by 10 cm wide on each side. The body is highly translucent, transmitting a warm honey-orange light at thinner points. The glaze is distinctly
In 2011, in a village called Son, deep in the mountains of Northern Vietnam, I met an aging veteran of the war. He told me his brother was killed in one of the battles. Then, Head of the Village, his life revolved around his grandson, and the generations who will
Northern Vietnam travels. 2012.
Overview This small covered blue-and-white storage jar presents a compelling combination of structural integrity, original survival, and unusually competent landscape painting. Measuring 13 cm high with its original cover, the jar belongs to the long tradition of Chinese storage and ginger jars produced at Jingdezhen during the late
Burning fields of sugar cane following a successful harvest. Thailand 2011. The first indication was not the fire but the orange glow in the evening sky. Then the scent of burning sugar cane which drifted into the village in which I was fortuitously staying. Pick up the camera and walk,
The story of Davy Keo, who lived through the genocide of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge as a teenager in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Welcome. Stephen Ford- Independent is a collection of documentary stories, photographs, objects and observations gathered over four decades of travel, work and study. Over the years I have travelled widely through Asia, Africa, Europe and South America, documenting people, places and events with a camera and a notebook. Some stories
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