MARK SANDERS

MAGICAL MALI

Over the last couple of months I have been helping a friend Andy Griffiths with printing an exhibition of pictures he took in Mali. He spent time in Mali travelling and some of the time was at an orphanage. Since arriving back in the UK he decided he wanted to try and sell his work with all proceeds going towards helping the charity.

The exhibition is currently on at Great Western Studios, W2.

Andy's story is below........

In February this year, I left my position as Head of Communications at Diesel to embark on a journey, which would take me to one of Africa’s poorest nations. What I discovered, I fell in love with. My exhibition is a celebration of the Malian people & their happiness in living a simple & fulfilling life.

I spent 2 months working in the Kalaban Coura orphanage in Bamako, Mali. The Orphanage is run by a woman called Madame Fofana Fatoumata Goundourou and is assisted by 3 young girls from the local community. Goundourou started the small-scale orphanage, by chance, over 20 years ago when her sister died suddenly and left her with 9 nieces and nephews. From this moment, she has dedicated her life to caring for the children aging from 6 months to 16 years all with similar stories of abandonment or through a chronic illness. Like most orphans, their families were too poor to afford medical care.

I wanted to capture the orphans inherit sense of caring for each other which, as westerners, we can easily lose sight of. Many people ask me if it changed my life, it didn’t. My experience reconnected me with a heightened sense of our values, especially nurturing & caring for one another. I want the photographs to show a bustling sense of laughter, fun, optimism & personality from wonderfully unique characters.

These wonderful children have water, which is filtered from a local well, three meals a day & shelter at night. What these children need most of all, is an education. An education ensures a greater knowledge of hygiene, contraception &, of course, language.

Every photograph purchased, will ensure a child has an education at a local school with a trained teacher, uniform, books & pencils. 100% of the proceeds from this exhibition will go to the orphanage; no middle men taking their cut; no agency fee; no commission. This is a non-profit charitable project.

MONOCLE - AW10/11 COLLECTION

Monocle AW10/11 Collection including collaborations with Comme des Garcons, Tomorrowland, Oliver Spencer, Ettinger and Porter.

Al fashion images were shot by myself.

MACAKIZI - BODRUM, TURKEY

I have just had the pleasure of working and staying at Macakizi in Bodrum, Turkey with Monocle Magazine. We have been shooting cruise wear for the Monocle Newspaper which is due out in the coming months.

Turkey has always had a little place in my heart and I have had many great times there, and this was no exception.

Macakizi itself is an idealic resort on the coast and combines a Turkish resort and coastline with a touch of French Riviera. This place has multiple levelled decked areas down the rock face and into the sea with stunning views from various lookout points. The main living area was designed be the same architect who is currently working on a new expansion of Bodrum airport, and this is quite apparent with its huge wing like roof made from industrial metal pillars and struts that combines a huge wooden ceiling, and has no walls which keeps the open plan feel even more open. Macakizi has also paid great attention to the food there and we were certainly treated to some great Turkish food including a variation on Manti, a Turkish Ravioli.

We got some really great images that deserves a big thank you to my team! I will post the story on here once it goes to print.

Here is a link to Macakizi........ www.macakizi.com

BLACKBERRY

InStyle & LK Bennett - Workwear Supplement

This is the story I shot for InStyle Workwear Supplement in association with LK Bennett. The end result was printed on a glossy high grade newspaper.

Monocle - Get Dressed

New 13 page story that I shot for Monocle issue 37.

No Guts No Glory

Thought these guys were worth a mention. They are a small boutique Tee shirt design company based in Exeter whose designs I got to see at Aeon Festival.

Take a little look at what they are up to here......

www.ngngdesign.com/about-us/

Down on the Farm

While in Devon I spent a night at my friend David's farm on Dartmoor, with his girlfriend Kelly and Son River who is almost 3 and is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to tractors.

We all camped under beautiful old oak trees in the same field as the chickens and the potatoes, and had an amazing clear view of the stars from my tent.

David keeps Black Welsh Mountain sheep, which are a rare breed and not a commercial sheep like the sort you would find in your local supermarket. They roam onto the open moors, and he has a hand in rounding them up from his sheep dog Jill. He has a small number of sheep that he is selling privately and is in the process of putting a website together from which to buy. I will put an update on here as soon as it is up and running.

Coffee on the fire first thing in the morning before David went to a farmers market in Wales to buy himself another ram.

Aeon Festival

Aeon Festival is a small grass roots affair at Shobrooke Park, Crediton, Devon. With it's idilic surroundings of open fields and a large fishing lake, this is what festivals are all about! The weather was good, apart from a few drops of rain which were easily avoided in the dance tent, and a few ciders always help in those instances.

There are lots of workshops going on, so I got involved in some of the bush craft and made a wooden stool. I think this might be the start of a series of furniture projects to come.

Each year me and my friends have had a little dress up session, and this year was no exception with the unveiling of Lego Man! Funny how people feel the need to punch lego man, with a couple of kids giving me the run around trying to knock my head off. If you were the guy who popped two whole gerkins in my eye holes then please stand up!

The highlight musicly for me would have to be Julio Bashmore on the Sunday night. Check him out at http://www.myspace.com/juliobashmore hes just been signed to Dirty Bird Recordings, so check him out there too.

Below is a picture of my brother playing the dance tent with a pretty nice sounding Funktion One sound system