Lanka, 1986-1992

Through over a hundred color and black-and-white photographs, taken over a six year period, Stephen Champion takes us sensitively through life in Sri Lanka. Ranging from quiet village gardens to the devastation of the war, showing us both the prayers of the shaman and the pomp of urban rulers, this book provides a broad view of Sri Lanka. As a foreigner he was in the ironic position of being able to move more freely than most Sri Lankans, and unlike other photographers, he took the opportunity and the risks, to explore the country in depth. The result is a fascinating portrait of a country little understood in the West, sadly torn apart by war, and yet still welcoming and hospitable to travellers.