“Storefronts in Kenya and Mississippi, celebrate small businesses around the world who provide livelihoods for their families and necessary services to their local communities. I began this work quite naturally while exploring new cultures through the eyes of a documentary photographer brought up in the America’s Midwest.

I have lived much of my adult life moving between Kenya and Mississippi. I find small shops fascinating, with the use of glorious color, singular signage, and creative artwork to advertise their services. The pairing of the shops come together effortlessly by color, composition, and subject matter. Sometimes it is not obvious which is from Kenya or Mississippi. But as we look closer, we start comparing the cultural connections and differences.

It’s a delectable feast for the eyes appreciating what we often no longer notice in our daily lives and local communities. Then we see the Dollar General store, a sign of what’s changing. The pervasive global influence of the big box corporate world results in fewer small shops with unique signage. This is happening even in underdeveloped economies, like Kenya, bringing more pressure on the survival of small local businesses.

By photographing these shops, I pay tribute to them wherever they are and the changes they are facing. They are a testament to the human spirit of survival in difficult circumstances. As lifelines of needed services, they serve as gathering places for conversation and entertainment enlivening the urban environment for all who live there.” Betty Press

To learn more about the work of Betty Press please click on her name.