Kristian Krän: La Soufrière

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 sulfurize—a kind of sulfurous condemnation. Phonetically, it closely resembles “souffrir,” the verb meaning to suffer and endure.

“you are me and I am you

we are far from each other but close,
forever linked 
inseparable, yet surrounded by a dense fog 
that obscures our view

we don’t see each other
we can’t reach each other
and that’s how it will stay”

An excerpt from a poem by Jowel Rainey and Kristian Krän written for the book.