Location: LAOS

“Weaved in Silk” is exploring the socio-economic transformation unfolding in Laos, a landlocked, communist country in mainland Southeast-Asia. Laos is rapidly shifting from a traditional agrarian society to a modern economy. This transformation is heavily influenced by China, which views resource-rich, low-income Laos as an ideal partner to expand its economic reach across the region.

Since moving to Laos in 2017 to work as a geography researcher, I’ve been living in the country and closely witnessing its changes. Over time, my fascination with Laos’s transition only deepened, leading me to leave my full-time research job in 2020 to tell this story through photography.

“Weaved in Silk” is the result of countless trips across the country, using the newly constructed Lao-China Railway as a central theme. Opened in 2021, this railway is the first ever built in Laos and links Vientiane, the capital, with Boten, a mountainous town on the Chinese border that serves as China’s gateway to Southeast-Asia.

The photographs depict everyday scenes within a changing landscape, revealing the contrast between traditional ways of life and the uncertain future, shaped by economic ambition and filled with promises of prosperity, connectivity and modernity- where Laos is heading, only time will tell.

ABOUT NICHOLAS BOSONI 

Nicholas Bosoni is an Italian self-taught documentary photographer based in Vientiane, Laos. With a background in development studies, his work focuses on themes of modernization, urbanization, traditional livelihoods, and natural resources.

Nicholas moved to Laos in 2017 to work as a geography researcher, where he became deeply engaged with the country’s socio-economic transformation. In 2020, he transitioned from research to photography, dedicating himself to documenting Laos’s ongoing economic transition.

Through his photography, he explores the evolving landscape, highlighting the intersection between tradition and development.

Nicholas’s photographs have been published in various international media outlets, and he has collaborated with NGOs, research centers, and development projects across Laos and Southeast Asia.