Rough Tide by Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah

Rough Tide is the manifestation of Adu-Sanyah's journey through grief, photographed during two oceanographic expeditions in the southernmost part of Chilean Patagonia, known as La Zona Austral. Between these journeys, her life was profoundly marked by the death of her father in August 2021.

The first expedition took place in December 2020, during the global pandemic, from Punta Arenas to the Santa Inés glacier in Seno Ballena, to study ocean acidification induced by climate change. In June 2022, the second expedition began, also from Punta Arenas, navigating the Beagle Channel to conduct research in Yendegaia. Due to severe turbulence encountered in Antártica Chilena, the team was unable to reach their intended destination, the tip of Cabo de Hornos. Bahía Wulaia was the closest they got to the Antarctic continent.

Each page of this book, including its cover, is a reproduction of an original, handmade chromogenic print. Adu-Sanyah considers the darkroom her home, where manual processes meet digital experimentation, offering nuanced perspectives on the tangible and intangible elements of the human experience. In her work, personal, institutional, analog, and digital realms find interconnected expression, reflecting a continuous exploration and understanding of the complex dynamics that shape our lives. By exploring the vast territories of photography, she examines the convergence of materiality and emotion through iterative and process-oriented methods. Her work explores familial bonds, personal loss, identity, and the institutional aspects of both environment and society. In parallel with her artistic work, Adu-Sanyah also produces photo reportages, an aspect of her practice that keeps her connected to real-world narratives and ensures her work remains grounded in contemporary realities.