Zwarte Piet

This work reveals the possible histories of the Danish mythical character "Black Pete", assistant to Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. The book comprises 23 portraits of mostly women and children, their blacked-up faces, reddened lips and rich clothing uncomfortably fixing the viewers gaze. The sitters poses suggest a sense of unease surrounding thier identity and position in contemporary Danish culture. The photographs document the character over a five year period, tracing a shift in its representation from that of an aggressive figure to one that, perhaps, more resembles a clown.