Ocean Beings

"Ocean Beings" is the first in a series of photographic books exploring ocean cultures and heritages. Commissioned by the DIS-NRF Research Chair in Ocean Cultures and Heritage, the project seeks to celebrate the deep connection between Southern and East African coastal communities and the ocean. The brief called for a 100-page coffee-table book to visually document and highlight the intangible and tangible cultural heritage of these communities, while reflecting their profound interactions with the ocean. The design needed to resonate with both academic and public audiences, capturing the richness of these cultures in a visually compelling and accessible way.

At the heart of the project was the idea of tangibility—both in the physical interaction of humans with the ocean and in how their stories are represented visually. The ocean shapes human lives, cultures, and histories, just as humans leave their marks on the ocean. These marks, whether positive or negative, can be temporary or permanent, reflecting the interplay between nature and humanity. This insight became the foundation of the creative direction, focusing on the physicality of human interaction with the environment and the symbolic significance of these connections.

To visually articulate the concept of tangibility, I reinterpreted the project’s photography in a way that mirrored human interaction with the ocean and the earth. I reprinted the photographs, then manipulated the prints by crumpling, tearing, bending, weaving, and folding them. These physical alterations created textures, shapes, and patterns that symbolized the marks humans leave on nature and the malleability of culture. By re-photographing these manipulated prints, I transformed them into dynamic visual narratives, representing the delicate balance between humans and the natural world.

The book design further emphasized this idea, with a minimalist layout that prioritized the images while incorporating handwritten elements and illustrations. These personal touches added a human essence, reinforcing the theme of tangibility and creating a sense of intimacy and connection between the audience and the content.

The creative process began with selecting and reprinting the photographs provided by the project’s photographers. Each print was carefully manipulated—crumpled to suggest waves and textures, torn to represent the fragility of the earth, or folded to evoke the interplay of structure and fluidity. The manipulated prints were then meticulously re-photographed, capturing the interplay of light and shadow created by their altered forms.

In the design phase, I developed a minimalist layout that allowed the photographs to take center stage, enhancing their emotional and conceptual impact. Thematic sections, such as "Hands of the Ocean", "Faces of the Ocean", and "Artifacts of the Ocean", organized the content into cohesive narratives that explored different facets of human-ocean interaction.

To further enhance the tactile and human-centered approach, I integrated handwritten elements and hand-drawn illustrations throughout the book. These features overlapped and interacted with the photographs, adding layers of meaning and a sense of personal touch to the design. The result was a visually and emotionally engaging book that invited readers to explore the depth of human connections to the ocean.