One day, in between interviews in Bangui, I met Dieudonné, whose name means “God Given” in French, on a street in downtown Bangui. Dieudonné is one of the Central African Republic’s butterfly hunters.
In the fields near Bangui, he says he collects butterflies and uses their wings to create art. During the week, he walks the dusty streets of central Bangui carrying a battered folder trying to make money by selling his colorful pictures.
The Central African Republic is home to more than 600 species of butterflies that come in a brilliant array of colors. It is also home to so many people like Dieudonné, who use what little they have to create unique art.
-Kristen McTighe