Horses & Carts 2015

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Vinca Petersen interviewed by Sheryl Garratt

When the war broke out in Ukraine, we were advised not to go there with aid, so we took a bus full of volunteers to Romania instead. We went to a very poor and rural area, Podu Turcului, and worked with a charity that provides care, education and fun for children who lack all of those things.

In a way, I shouldn’t have gone. No one really noticed, but I was going through the motions, driving this bus. I was just exhausted at the time, and as a result I felt very detached from the people around me. So I did nearly all of the driving, which was great, because I had my own headspace.

When we reached Romania, there were loads of beautiful horses and carts everywhere. Every time I passed one, I would just stick my hand out with the camera – and this series of photographs happened.

Romania has changed a lot. There’s a lot of advertising there now, and it feels like it has been increasingly swallowed up by Europe. But these people still seemed to be on the fringes of it all, left behind. Which is why I felt drawn to them. Although I’m sure they’d rather have a tractor or a car!