La Soufrière
Kristian Krän
Kult Books
English and Swedish
Hardcover
80 pages
220 x 280 mm
2025
ISBN 9789198760743
La Soufrière captures a poignant reunion between a father and son after 25 years apart. Swedish photographer Kristian Krän travels to the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean to meet his father, Arthur — a meeting that turns out to be both their first and their last. Arthur had left the family when Kristian was just two years old. It was only years later that Kristian learned of his father’s existence and his longstanding mental illness.
To meet Arthur and gain understanding, Kristian journeys to Basse-Terre, the capital of Guadeloupe, a quiet town with a shrinking population of around 10,000. Over the course of a week, they explore the island together, visiting places Arthur wants to show Kristian. Communication is difficult, as Kristian’s understanding of Guadeloupean Creole French is limited. Instead, they spend much of their time bonding through music. Kristian’s camera becomes an essential bridge between them, serving as both a means of connection and a source of comfort.
One day, they hiked to the top of the volcano La Grande Soufrière. Arthur, dressed in a blazer and flip-flops, kept vanishing and reappearing in the mist. The volcano, a place where some of their most significant memories were made, inspired the book’s title. The word “soufrière” comes from the French “soufre,” meaning sulfur or to sulfurise—a kind of sulfurous condemnation. Phonetically, it closely resembles “souffrir,” the verb meaning to suffer and endure.
(Source: https://kultbooks.com/store/p/la-soufriere-by-kristian-kran)
About the Artist
Kristian’s photographic career began as an assistant to documentary photographer Anders Petersen.
From there, he took with him knowledge and inspiration, which led to a degree in photography at the Gothenburg School of Photography and Film. During his studies, he collaborated with his friend Marco Grizelj, and they started the photography duo Aorta in 1996.
Together, they have realised an international career in ice-based photography and created a number of exhibitions and publications in both books and international magazines.
https://www.kristiankran.com/
(Source: https://www.kristiankran.com/gifts)
About the Publisher
Kult Books is an independent publishing project for photography and other lens-based visual arts founded by Janne Riikonen in Stockholm, Sweden. Kult Books publishes monographs and artist books that embrace a personal artistic vision and visual language. The publications are created in close collaboration with the artists, the physical form designed to support the concept of the work.
https://kultbooks.com
(Source: https://kultbooks.com/about)
