Dona Nika in her Garden, Grande Sertão Veredas National Park, Brazil Possibly 1999 - 2001

Fazal Sheikh made this photographic print of Dona Nika sometime around the turn of the millennium. It’s a sensitive portrait, intimate, unhurried. Looking at it, I wonder, what was it like to be there with her, in Grande Sertão Veredas National Park, Brazil? What did they talk about? There’s an incredible stillness in this image, a sense of mutual respect and quiet observation. Dona Nika sits on a simple stool, a small bouquet in her hands, looking to the side. She wears one casual shoe and one sturdy boot. Her gaze is soft, but steady. She's framed by a leafy tree, its branches heavy with ripening mangoes. Sheikh’s choice of black and white lends the image a timeless quality, highlighting the textures of her skin, the rough bark of the tree, and the delicate blossoms. You can sense the warm, heavy air of the place. The composition feels both formal and deeply personal, a testament to the connection between photographer and subject. It’s a reminder that photography, at its best, is an act of collaboration and seeing.