Åke Ericson – Non Grata – Culture Assistance

For over 8 years, I have been documenting the Roma peoples daily life in 10 countries in Europe. I began this project after visiting the southern part of Czech Republic where I witnessed vast discrimination.

This moved me so greatly that I committed to photographing this vulnerable community of people. This commitment has taken me on 18 journeys through Czech Republic, France, Sweden, Kosovo, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Switzerland, Spain and Slovakia to bear witness to these shunned societies.

I have used photography to show the Roma’s living conditions and how they are deprived of political, economical, cultural and social rights. The other aspect of this project has been to show the difficulties the Roma have everywhere to win political influence and get a voice in the media.

Non Grata project has been exhibited in Sweden, Bulgaria and France, Germany and in FN hq in New York,USA .

Breclav,Czech Republic. A man walks past rows of windows on a long abandoned stable that's since been converted to a home.
Two years has passed since three roman families, without future prospects were deported to an old converted cow-house outside the town of Breclav in the south of the Czech Republic. — Breclav,Czech Republic. A man walks past rows of windows on a long abandoned stable that's since been converted to a home. Two years has passed since three roman families, without future prospects were deported to an old converted cow-house outside the town of Breclav in the south of the Czech Republic.

6/28-2013. Lunik IX, Kosice, Slovakia.
A childrens game in the ghetto.Juraj Mizigor doing a backflip. — 6/28-2013. Lunik IX, Kosice, Slovakia. A childrens game in the ghetto.Juraj Mizigor doing a backflip.

7/26-2015. Belgrade,Serbia.
Many stateless Roma displaced from Kosovo simply cannot afford to go through the time-consuming, expensive process of applying for birth registration and citizenship documents. Some don't even know they can apply.
The main problem is proving that his parents had citizenship and providing evidence of a formal residence, without which he cannot obtain an ID card and enjoy the full rights of citizenship. In a 2015 survey, UNHCR found about 3,578 Roma in Serbia did not have birth registration documents or personal documentation. Berisa Siribana , Aleksandar Ikonic and Robert Selmovice have waiting for the boy in the trolley Berisha Siribana 3 years sleeping after his sister have been out in town an collecting bottles. — 7/26-2015. Belgrade,Serbia. Many stateless Roma displaced from Kosovo simply cannot afford to go through the time-consuming, expensive process of applying for birth registration and citizenship documents. Some don't even know they can apply. The main problem is proving that his parents had citizenship and providing evidence of a formal residence, without which he cannot obtain an ID card and enjoy the full rights of citizenship. In a 2015 survey, UNHCR found about 3,578 Roma in Serbia did not have birth registration documents or personal documentation. Berisa Siribana , Aleksandar Ikonic and Robert Selmovice have waiting for the boy in the trolley Berisha Siribana 3 years sleeping after his sister have been out in town an collecting bottles.

5/27-2010. APOLD,ROMANIA. The Roma in the EU's backyard. Many of the Roma who are now supplanted by the French authorities are originally from Romania. In the village Apold in Romanian Transylvania are still living about 150 Roma people in misery. A young man filled a basin of water for washing hair.

6/30-2013. Kosoce. Slovakia. Early morning at Slepčik familys bedroom.

2/24-2013. Behind the Hrebendova Street. Lunik IX, Slovakia.

ericson-NON-GRATA-08 — 2/2-2014 Kosice,Slovakia. Outside Kosice many Roma people are displaced in some small villages up in the mountains.

11/19-2015. Rimavska Sec. Since the teacher and Roma activist, 32-year-old Stephen Vavrek got mayorin the village he has invest in education in schools with a successful outcome for those Roma children.

6/6-2010.Mitrovica,Kosovo.
There are also high lead levels in Osterede in Mitrovica. The children often suffer from poor blood count inhaling lead vapors from slag heaps and drinking contaminated water in camps. Laundry and garbage lie together at — 6/6-2010. Mitrovica, Kosovo. There are also high lead levels in Osterede in Mitrovica. The children often suffer from poor blood count inhaling lead vapors from slag heaps and drinking contaminated water in camps. Laundry and garbage lie together at

12/22-2014 Stockholm.Sweden.
Many Roma from Romania sleeping out in the string Lyla at Olof Palmes gata in Stockholm.Cirka 500 Roma people are homeless in the center of Stockholm. — 12/22-2014 Stockholm.Sweden. Many Roma from Romania sleeping out in the string Lyla at Olof Palmes gata in Stockholm. Cirka 500 romanian people are homeless in the center of Stockholm.

All the pictures in the exhibition:
17 framed pictures in 21×35 cm.
6 framed pictures 50×71 cm.
11 framed pictures 70×103 cm.
1 sign with the name Non Grata 39×90 cm.

Two boxes for the transportation of the whole exhibition
in 58×113,80 cm och 110x80x40 cm.

The Non Grata book has been awarded by International Photo Award in USA 2018 and POYi in USA 2019.

Published April 2018
230 x 305 mm portrait format
140 pp / 71 tri-tone illustrations
Hardback clothbound
ISBN 978-1-910401-18-7

Interested?