pastelDAR is a series of photographs showcasing the cross section of urban street life in historical Swahili coastal town of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, documenting it's populous street culture and its architectural heritage.

The title inspired by the pastel tones of the buildings photographed in my travels. PastelDAR symbolizes the muted scenes that chose to stand out anyway, displaying an intimate and a very local perspective of a place most people don’t properly notice. Pastel colors are often used to cover large areas quickly. PastelDAR celebrates the true essence of the Swahili towns, an array of color romance. It has some kind of unique beauty. it's like finding hidden shade of color. Chalky in composition, often overlooked because they're some what messy. pastelDAR is deeply rooted in architectural heritage conservation

An on going exploration and social documentary of the Swahili coast, and photography as a means of accomodating a shifting social dynamics in contrast to the rapid expansion and development in Tanzania. The project aims to explore the Swahili coastal regions interior, documenting its architecture and people which has played a mojor role in culture and trade over 200 years since colonialism. These photos explores my relationship with Dar es Salaam, a romanticized version of a city I grew up in . It is deeply rooted in Identity, Cultural Heritage and Architectural Conservation.

Since its relatively recent foundation a little over a century ago,  Dar  es-Salaam  has  undergone  many  challenges  and  has  always reaffirmed itself as a cultural, economic, and even political hub of Tanzania. Today, the city’s historic fabric tells the remarkable  story  of  a  nation  coming  into  its  own,  from  its  days  as  a  Zanzibari trading outpost to the era of colonialism—from the fight for independence to its dynamic present moment.

Impressions of Dar es Salaam streets from city center to Kariakoo for project pastelDAR: A look into Dar es Salaam built history and Street Life. These photos were shot between Dar city center and Kariakoo exploring the city streets reacting to the cultural urban landscape of Dar es Salaam city streets.

Through walking, talking and photo walks, we weaved together an array of stories and facts in order to re-produce varied urban cultures and local histories.

These practices must at once be entertaining as well as educational. As a segment of a larger body of work of PastelDAR, this project focuses on storytelling tools such as illustrations and photography to represent Dar es Salaam city's history, cultural identity and Street Life.