Carmina at the Our Time Is Now exhibition opening at Roasberg, her photography visible on the gallery walls behind her.
Portfolio — 2018–2026

I curate the story before
I tell it.

Scroll
00 — About

I've spent the last eight years working across events, photography, and writing — not because I planned it that way, but because each project kept leading into the next. Most of the time I'm the one coordinating logistics, having the conversation that turns into an interview, or making sure a shoot actually runs the way it needs to. I care more about getting the story right than about being the one who shot it.

Based
Zanzibar, Tanzania
Focus
Production & coordination · Creative direction
Currently
Building Provenance, a storytelling platform with Cliff Kareem, launching in Zanzibar
Open to
Producing storytelling projects
01 — Selected Work

The Work

Event & Creative Direction
Interior of the Commonwealth Marketplace pop-up store. ${ICON_ARROW_UP}
01

Commonwealth Marketplace

Carmina welcoming guests to the dining experience. ${ICON_ARROW_UP}
02

We're Setting the Table

Photography
Woman in a red patterned dress holding a basketball overhead, smiling. ${ICON_ARROW_UP}
03

Strong Arms

A woman lying against blue fabric, cabbage leaves set on a chain across her chest. ${ICON_ARROW_UP}
04

From Where We Feast

A woman with white paint partially applied across her face. ${ICON_ARROW_UP}
05

Silenced Identity

Photojournalism & Writing
Black and white portrait of Sarah, from Stories of Exodus. ${ICON_ARROW_UP}
06

Stories of Exodus

The Nile near Luxor, boats moored along a green riverbank under a clear sky. ${ICON_ARROW_UP}
07

Stories That Live on the Nile

Content & Brand Storytelling
Sliding glass doors opening onto a sea view, a property featured in the Provenance concept deck. ${ICON_ARROW_UP}
07

Provenance

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Interior of the Commonwealth Marketplace pop-up store, glass walls and curated product displays.
01

Commonwealth Marketplace — 2022

Creative DirectionProject ManagementDesign

A week-long pop-up store and exhibition celebrating designers across 31 African countries — a dynamic space built for creatives to showcase their work through curated themes: how things are made, how we live, and what we wear.

Undertaken while creative director at Atelier Academy, Kigali, in support of a wider team: Emery (logistics), Thierry (architecture/engineering), David (sound & light).

How Things Are Made
Laini · Azizi Live Studio · Master Weavers · Mwinda
How We Live
Haute Baso · Wood Habitat
What We Wear
Uzuri K&Y · House of Tayo · Maison Munezero · Uzi Collection · Kikoromeo · Pichulik · Dye Lab · Asantii · Pepper Row · Larry Jay
Role: Producer & creative coordinator — led project management, curation, and cross-team coordination  ·  Layout & renders: Thierry
Wooden armchair and lamp on display, part of the pop-up's design brand showcase.
Clothing rack displaying pieces from fashion brand Asantii at the pop-up.
Interior of the Commonwealth Marketplace pop-up store.
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Strong Arms
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A woman in a red patterned dress holding a basketball overhead, smiling, in Masoro, Rwanda.
02 — Documentary Series

Strong Arms — 2019

PhotographyDocumentary

A photography series chronicling the women of Masoro, Rwanda, who meet every Wednesday for basketball — a harmonious blend of strength, grace, masculinity, and femininity, arriving to practice in a stunning array of everyday attire.

The series breaks a singular expression of what strength is supposed to look like.

Role: Photography  ·  Exhibited as part of "Our Time Is Now," Roasberg, Finland
The Women of Masoro
A woman in a flowing yellow dress mid-motion, playing basketball with banana trees behind her.
A woman in a patterned headscarf holding a basketball, smiling.
A player in a green and yellow striped jersey holding a basketball.
Every Wednesday

The court becomes a gathering place — practice clothes, church clothes, everyday clothes, all worn with the same ease.

A woman in a teal and yellow patterned dress standing with the team.
A woman in a blue collared shirt dribbling a basketball, fabric tied at her waist.
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We're Setting the Table
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Carmina welcoming guests to the dining experience, applauding at the head of the table.
04 — Editorial Series

We're Setting the Table — 2025

Event CurationFloristryConcept Design

An immersive dining experience, where the art of flower arranging meets shared meals — "Setting the Table Together" was an afternoon dedicated to connection, creativity, and culinary delight. Guests came together to set a beautiful table, with flowers as the focal point, in preparation for a memorable three-course meal.

Date
29 March 2025
Time
13:00 – 17:00
Capacity
20–25 persons
Led by
Carmina & Esther
Role: Producer & curator — concept, event coordination, workshop lead, print design  ·  Menu items curated by: Esther  ·  Photography: Ariel
Chapter 01 — The Floral Workshop
A guest arranging a bouquet of flowers during the workshop.
A guest arranging flowers, tattooed arm reaching for stems.
Close-up of hands trimming a white flower stem.
Floral Workshop

Guests were paired to create their own floral arrangements under Carmina's guidance — each serving as the table's centerpiece, and each guest taking their arrangement home as a memento.

Chapter 02 — Setting the Table
Guests seated together at the long floral-decorated dining table.
Floral-Infused Welcome Drinks

A complimentary flower-infused cocktail or bubbly on arrival, paired with a short lesson on the floral and herbal benefits of the ingredients used.

Chapter 03 — The Menu
The printed three-course menu, styled with a sprig of rosemary.
Print Design

Designed by Carmina, printed and styled tableside for every guest — a keepsake as much as a menu.

Chapter 04 — The Dining Experience
Plated starter course beside a glass of wine at the table.
Close-up of the beetroot carpaccio starter course.
Chef Esther plating dishes in the kitchen.
The Dining Experience

After setting the table together, guests enjoyed a three-course meal designed by Esther, with each course built to complement the floral theme.

An afternoon dedicated to connection, creativity, and culinary delight.
Next project
From Where We Feast
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A woman lying against blue fabric, cabbage leaves set on a chain across her chest.
05 — Editorial Series

From Where We Feast — 2020

PhotographyConceptStyling

A photo project featuring wearable pieces crafted entirely from food, exploring the historical roots and contemporary relevance of our modern diet — inspired by the paradox of high wheat consumption and celiac prevalence across Africa. The collection delves into the neglect of natural foods and traditional diets.

Each model wears garments representing the origin of a specific food, emphasizing the connection between individuals and their culinary heritage. The edible attire intertwines personal identity with a broader cultural narrative.

Role: Concept, styling & photography
Look 01 — Coffee
Coffee bean chains draped over a terracotta vase.
A fringe skirt made of coffee beans on a leg standing in water.
Coffee — indigenous to Africa. Each bean soaked in water for pliability, then punctured and linked together using rings and chains.
Look 02 — Corn
A model in a corn-husk dress kneeling in water, hand raised to her hair.
Corn — South America

Crafted from softened corn husks, transformed through water immersion for softness and attached to elastic bands with a stapler.

Look 03 — Cranberry
A model standing in a cranberry-beaded blue mesh skirt against an orange backdrop.
Close-up detail of cranberry beading on blue mesh fabric.
Cranberry — indigenous to South America.
Look 04 — Carrot
Close-up of a carrot-slice chain belt against blue fabric.
A carrot-slice chain draped over legs, lying on blue fabric by the water.
Carrot — indigenous to Europe.
Look 05 — Watermelon
A star-shaped watermelon-rind necklace worn at the collarbone.
Watermelon — Africa

Crafted from discarded watermelon rinds, precision-cut with cookie cutters, then linked with an arrangement of rings and chains.

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Stories of Exodus
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Black and white portrait of Sarah, a subject in the Stories of Exodus series, with her quote about wearing the hijab.
06 — Photojournalism

Stories of Exodus — 2020

PhotojournalismInterviewsWriting

Amidst unprecedented global migration, the refugee crisis is escalating — propelled by climate, demographic, economic, and conflict-related challenges. Finland, undergoing rapid multicultural transformation, can no longer overlook this reality. This series was made with Startup Refugees, a voluntary network of over 500 companies, communities, and individuals advocating for immigration and connecting newcomers with employment, mentors, and networks.

The project spotlights these newcomers' journeys, hopes, and ventures — through intimate portraits and interviews, offering inspiration to others in Finland's diverse landscape.

Network
500+ companies, communities & individuals
Impact
5,500+ newcomers supported in 4 years
Role: Interviewer & producer — led interviews and portraiture  ·  Related: featured writing published with UNICEF (see Published & Featured)
The Portraits
Black and white portrait of Sarah, with her quote about wearing the hijab.
Black and white portrait of Mustafa, with his quote about starting from zero.
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Stories That Live on the Nile
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The Nile near Luxor, boats moored along a green riverbank under a clear sky.
06 — Travel Writing

Stories That Live on the Nile — 2026

Personal NarrativeTravel WritingInterviews

A personal travel story, told in two parts, following a journey along the Nile from Luxor to Aswan — and the unplanned encounters along the way that turned into something closer to reporting than tourism.

Role: Writer, photographer & interviewer — solo travel narrative
Part One — Luxor to Esna & Edfu
First Sunset in Luxor

Move! Where? Follow! What?
land. Water. Wisdom. Spirit.

A dream never seen.
The magic I couldn't imagine.

I cried the tears of salt in my mouth.

And in the morning I wake to the breath of chance.

There is change in the stream, invisible and still yet so fluid.

Like the sails on the riverboats, not manipulating, not forcing, only shifting to where the wind goes.

Sailboats on the Nile at sunset, viewed through the rigging of a felucca, mountains in the distance.
Sunrise Over the West Bank
A hot air balloon drifting over the desert at sunrise near Luxor's West Bank.
A caretaker leaning against the sandstone wall of a mortuary temple on Luxor's West Bank.
A hot air balloon ride at sunrise over the Valley of the Kings, followed by a morning among the mortuary temples of the West Bank.
The Spice Shop

We sat in his shop as his nephew, no older than 14, moved between the jars, opening each one for us to smell. Every time he came close he smiled. He spoke no English, yet there was an understanding in him — an intelligence of communication that existed beyond spoken language.

As the conversation deepened, I mentioned my chronic back pain. Without hesitation he moved to the back of the counter and returned with an unlabeled transparent bottle — something he'd made himself at home, a remedy. He told me about a book he kept, five hundred pages of natural medicine. Of course I asked to see it. He laughed. "I always keep that book at home."

Shelves of spice jars in a market shop in Luxor.
Aboard the Boat
The dahabiya's shaded deck lounge at sunset, overlooking the Nile.
A guest at the boat's onboard bar, a star-shaped lantern hanging above.
Slow afternoons on deck and evenings at the boat's small bar, somewhere between Esna and Edfu.
Tea on the Riverbank
Three friends sitting together on the riverbank, preparing tea, one making a peace sign.

While the boat parked between Esna and Edfu, friends sit together and prepare some tea.

A boy standing on a small blue boat at the river's edge, sandy bank and palm trees behind.
Veda 4, the dahabiya, docked at the riverbank at dusk, vendors seated on the sand nearby.
Veda 4, parked between Esna and Edfu.
Part Two — Aswan, The Land of Gold
Arrival in the Nubian Village

Three years ago, during my first visit to Zanzibar, I grew tired of explaining where I was from. It's something I think many mixed people will understand. Eventually I started telling people I was Nubian, but that only opened more questions, more confusion, and a surprising realization of how many people had never heard of Nubia at all.

Nubians are an indigenous ethno-linguistic group originating from the central Nile Valley, in a region stretching from southern Egypt to northern Sudan. Descendants of early Nile Valley civilisations that formed powerful independent states — among them Kerma and Kush — who at their height conquered and ruled Egypt itself. A people and a history that the world has largely forgotten.

I had seen photographs of the Nubian Village years before of the colorful buildings and painted walls. I couldn't believe that I was now going to walk through it. Isn't it incredible how a single photograph glimpsed years ago can be a quiet sign pointing toward where you're going?

A white wall painted with blue stars beside a teal doorway in the Nubian Village at night.
A green building with painted archways, a crocodile, palm trees, and a camel mural, in the Nubian Village.
Blue-painted stairs and terrace in the Nubian Village at night.
The Celebration

As we docked to drop off the other passengers, sound hit first, loud and celebratory. Our taxi captain asked if we wanted to join. It felt strange at first. But everyone seemed genuinely welcoming, so we stepped in.

A few flights of stairs led to a large terrace overlooking the Nile. And just like that, the dark water and the weaving papyrus islands were behind us. We had arrived somewhere else entirely.

There was so much movement. Dancing. Fire. A DJ performing live, with tracks I wished I could Shazam. I danced too. And somewhere in the middle of it, I understood something; how rich spontaneity truly is when you stop resisting it. How much life is waiting on the other side of a moment I almost didn't say yes to or ran away from.

A boy holding up a red flare in a crowd at a nighttime celebration, smoke glowing pink.
Meeting Mr. Esam

While trying to find our way back, we passed a small shop where Mr. Esam sat out front. He looked up and said "hello, Nubian sister." It caught me off guard. Though many people had said I looked like I could be Nubian, hearing it said so simply landed differently.

I wanted to stop and sit with him, to ask all the questions I had collected about Nubians. But we were in a hurry, so I told him I would come back tomorrow. He smiled. He had probably heard that before.

Portrait of Mr. Esam at his textile shop in the Nubian Village.
The Weaver's Craft

As charming as the Nubian Village is at night, I wanted to see it under the sun, to see what the colors looked like in the light. So the first stop the next day was Mr. Esam.

He offered tea. We sat on soft cushions on the floor and talked. His shop was filled with tapestries, scarves, and pillowcases, every piece handmade by him and his family.

At some point he mentioned a photograph of his father working at the hand loom that was displayed at the airport. The way he spoke about it, you could feel the pride. Not just in the image, but in what it represented. A craft carried through generations that remains alive with him and his family.

A painted portrait of a girl on a blue building, beside a mural of a sailboat.
A collage of handmade Nubian textiles and tapestries.
A man in white robes standing at the edge of a boat, looking up at the sky, coiled blue rope beside him.
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Silenced Identity
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A woman with white paint partially applied across her face, three fingers raised beside her cheek.
07 — Personal Narrative

Silenced Identity — 2018

PhotographyPersonal Narrative

A photo project capturing a personal encounter with racism after relocating to Finland. Across the sequence, the model progressively adds white paint to her face — a visual metaphor for the pressure to mask her natural identity.

The recurring question, "Why don't you paint yourself white?" echoes the external pressure to assimilate.

Role: Concept & photography  ·  Exhibited as part of "Our Time Is Now," Roasberg, Finland
The Sequence
First frame: white paint beginning to cover the face, hand raised with three fingers.
Second frame: hand pressed against the jaw, more paint blended across the face.
Third frame: hand covering the mouth, paint nearly covering the face.
Next project
Provenance
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Sliding glass doors opening onto a sea view, part of a property featured in the Provenance concept deck.

Provenance — 2026

Editorial PlatformCo-FounderZanzibar

Provenance — /ˈprovinən(t)s/, the place of origin of something and its subsequent history of ownership or custody.

Is a new digital editorial platform launching across Zanzibar, built around in-depth storytelling: the people, decisions, and history behind the island's most distinctive spaces and brands.

Spaces, objects, and art are often interacted with, with little knowledge of the why and how. Provenance shows how design and the creative world hold real value — and the reasons things are made the way they are. It is not random.

What We Do
Creative photography & videography · Writing · Storytelling
Launching In
Phases, starting small
Locations
Stone Town, Paje, Nungwi & Kizimkazi

While Provenance itself is new, the work behind it isn't — CK has spent 5 years photographing and filming, and Carmina has worked in the creative industry for over 6 years. Provenance is a dedicated storytelling platform built around that experience.

Role: Co-founder — producer, storytelling & interviews  ·  Co-founder: Cliff Kareem (CK) — photography & film
Portrait of Carmina, co-founder of Provenance.
Carmina Ndahiro
Co-founder — Producer, Storytelling & Interviews
Portrait of Cliff Kareem (CK), co-founder of Provenance.
Cliff Kareem (CK)
Co-founder — Photography & Film
Channels
  • Instagram — photographs of spaces & designers; reels, one interview per feature
  • Website — written articles, either on one place or finding commonalities across several
  • YouTube — a longer interview (~20 min), in the style of a short documentary
Contact: hello.provenancestudio@gmail.com
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