Mai Mai Militia 2003, Near Beni, Eastern Drc: Portrait Vi

Though Tillim has his roots firmly in photojournalism and has photographed conflict and political events all over the world, he has also successfully shown his work in the context of art galleries and museums.

His concern for composition and for identifying with his subjects can be clearly seen in this portrait, which was shown with many similar works in an exhibition called Soldiers. The repetition of the format – a simple head-and-shoulders shot – in the series draws attention to the magnitude of this conflict in the DRC and to the mass recruitment of young men and boys. 

Artwork courtesy of SABC Art Collection.