Casper Hedberg

Kisumu, Kenya 2008

Born in 1983, Casper Hedberg grew up in a small village in the southern part of Sweden. By the age of 14 he took a darkroom class and got hooked on photography. Casper’s professional career started in 2005, when he began working as a full time photographer. He received his  degree of photojournalism  from the Mid Sweden University in Sundsvall. He currently lives in Stockholm and works on assignment for Swedish newspapers and magazines. Awards include: “Pictorial Feature of the Year – Foreign” 2008, 1st prize, Swedish Picture of the Year Award. “Picture of the year” 2007, (SPYA). “News picture Sweden” 2007, 1st prize, (SPYA)

About the Photograph:

”Kisumu, in western Kenya, was heavily affected by the post-election disturbances. The entire city center was burnt down and road blocks were raised surrounding the city. The ODM party announced three days of peaceful demonstrations but the police replied with live bullets. A desperate jump, in a desperate situation. The conflict that erupted in Kenya after the presidential election in December 2007 has exposed fissures in the facade of the leading East African country. Since January 2008 Kenya has plunged into a deep crisis of ethnic cleansing. It all began on December 30th, when the election results were made official and the incumbent president Mwai Kibaki was announced winner. Quickly and secretly sworn in for five more years of power, one month after the election more than 500,000 people have been displaced by the violence and over 1,500 people were killed.”

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