Marieta Kiptalam Chemeli

Mary (Soulmary) Kiptalam Chemeli was born in the south of Kenya, where she spent her early years in a small village. Abandoned by her mother she and her two siblings were raised by her stepfather, suffering from regular violence. Years later her mother returned and brought her to Switzerland when she was ten. But soon after, the mother died from sickness, leaving Mary alone as an orphan in an SOS Children's Village. Growing up in Switzerland, Mary struggled with Identity and her violent past in the Kenyan village. Eventually she discovered the village Einsiedeln and its monastery as a place of strength and peace, that she regularly visits in order to find peace and harmony when the ghosts of the past haunt her. Today Mary curates the Black Art Matters festival to promote African artists in Zurich. The Einsiedeln Monastery is also home of a Black Madonna, which is famous around the world. In this series Patrick Lambertz uses the energy of the place and the natural light to create expressive portrait imagery. Patrick's signature photographic style is characterized by a blend of vintage lenses and digital cameras he uses regularly for his portrait shoots, combined with profound postproduction skills.