Tamarin: a village, an artist

Tamarin: a village, an artist

Fertile breeding ground of talented individuals, Tamarin is home to many artists: plastic artists, creators, photographers, musicians, painters…. The unique surroundings of the area, located between the alluring ocean and the mountains, Saltpans and forests, beaches and sugar-cane fields, dry grasslands, and river, procures a very delicate feeling of sensibility to artists. Each month, we meet an artist and discover his/her vision of Tamarin.

Elie Bernager is a world-renowned photographer who has been living in Tamarin for more than fifteen years now. His artistic photos and highly original portraits of newly-wed couples, within very “local” settings that are a far cry from traditional clichés, demonstrate not only his ability to capture the quintessence of Mauritius but also highlight his love for the island he now calls home. Elie has recently participated in a solidarity project, “Très Métis Tamarin”, aimed at building community links within Tamarin village. The objective is to celebrate the social and cultural diversity of the residents. His close cropped and candid black and white portraits of the villagers, who were very pleased to pose, reveal their innermost generous nature. Fishermen, children, shopkeepers, mothers and youngsters…: if the eyes are the gateway to the soul, those captured by Elie reveal that of Tamarin.