My photographic career has focused chiefly on women in "lands of extremities" -countries at war and lands stricken by natural disasters where people face death. Their smiles that bring warmth and relief to people around them, the generous embrace of tolerance and love toward their families and a will power and drive that can overwhelm men -ordinary women have become a major force supporting the emotional strength of the Afghan people and society. I have embarked on a study of Afghanistan after the collapse of the Taliban regime in 2002. Under the Taliban, women were obliged to wear burkas and were deprived of education and work opportunities. They were suppressed by many restrictions and taboos. With the departure of the Taliban, life has changed for them. Women are going to work to support their families after losing their husbands to civil wars and to pursue professional careers. Liberation has inspired them to have enthusiasm and drive. The country has been dramatically transformed in a very short period of time. At the same time, there are harsh realities. There were many occasions where the thin arms of women in dire poverty and begging in the streets sought me. I am strongly attracted to people who struggle to survive with fortitude under extreme circumstances. I see sharpness and brilliance in their gazes, and a greater awareness of life and stronger sense of humanity in them. The sense of life and death they gained through experience probably nurtures their respect for life. I earnestly wish people to have a positive outlook toward life, regardless of nation or ethnicity, without losing hope and against all adversity. Living in peace, it is an awareness that is very often lost among us. Afghanistan Population:ca 27.7mn Territory:approx. 647,500km² Capital:Kabul Ethnic Groups:Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek etc. Languages:Pashtu, Afghan Persian (Dari), Turkic languages, 30 minor languages Religions:Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, other