Sweet song of Harlem

Jaakko Heikkilä has been photographing the streets, people, and city life of Harlem for over two decades. Through his lens, this once-notorious neighbourhood of New York City reveals its intimate, cosy side. Over the years, Heikkilä has befriended many of his sitters, offering him a unique, close-up perspective on their homes and their lives. Rounded out with a collection of brief lyrical texts, this book features a series of photographs that are exceptional in their raw honesty, presenting a vibrant, colour-drenched, and slightly unreal ? or fairytale-like ? portrait of everyday life and what it means to be human. Heikkilä is the winner of the 2007 State Prize for Photographic Art.