Daw Thaw Yin with her machete, and daily cheroot, Myanmar, 2011. From "The Machete Project" © Vanessa Ahlsborn
In 2006 Vanessa Ahlsborn bought her first knife as a memento whilst traveling. Since then her interest in the utilitarian tools has led her around the world producing this simply wonderful personal project. I think Vanessa is destined for greatness!
"The Machete Project is an ongoing portrait and object archive that showcases the diversity of this blade style and the beauty of its users. Despite their fearsome reputation in western news media and popular culture, the machete is an extremely versatile and commonplace asset for many people across the world. By documenting the everyday user for whom the machete is an invaluable tool, the project seeks to question the viewer's assumptions about the machete, and by extension, the people who use it."
