Photo Book Galamsey

PRE-ORDER
I am raising funds to publish Galamsey — a limited-edition photographic book about illegal gold mining in Ghana and its human and environmental impact.
My name is Mariusz Śmiejek, an independent documentary photographer working on long-term projects focused on overlooked people and places. This work is the result of time spent on the ground, witnessing lives shaped by survival, inequality, and the global demand for gold.
This is not only a story about destruction, but about people.
Poisoned rivers, destroyed land, and uncertain futures form the landscape — yet behind it are individuals whose voices are rarely heard. This book aims to give them space, dignity, and permanence.
In a world of fast, disposable images, a photobook creates space for reflection and deeper understanding.
The project has been partially supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and funding from the National Lottery, covering around 70-80% of production costs. This pre-sale is to fund the final stage of production while keeping the book affordable and accessible.
Pre-sale information
The book is available now in pre-sale for £15 + shipping (depending on destination).
Orders are shipped to the entire EU, the US, and the rest of the world via registered post. 
Local pickup is available in Belfast at 1G1 Studio (by appointment only).
Payment is processed through the 1G1 Studio Belfast website (link below), with debit/credit card and PayPal. 
Confirmation and invoice are issued automatically via the online store.
Production will be completed by mid-June, with pre-sale copies shipped from early July 2026.
To pre-order the GALAMSEY photo book
Please visit the online shop at my
1G1 Studio page here.
Order your copy
Gold is breaking historic price records on global markets, yet in Ghana—the largest gold producer in Africa—those who extract it often earn only cents. This contradiction lies at the heart of a system shaped by capitalist neocolonialism, where vast natural wealth benefits foreign corporations while devastating local communities.
In 2021, international mining companies exporting Ghanaian gold made $5.1 billion in profits, investing just over 0.5% back into the local economy. By 2024, Ghana’s gold exports reached $11.64 billion, nearly $5 billion of it from illegal small-scale mining known as galamsey. Almost one-third of the country’s gold is mined illegally, sustaining over 3 million people—around 9% of the population—while paying workers as little as $3–5 per week.
With few alternatives, widespread unemployment, and a high rate of poverty, people are forced into mining simply to feed their families. In response, the state increasingly relies on violence: government security forces conduct raids on illegal mines and have repeatedly used live ammunition, shooting to kill.
Gold from Ghana flows to China, India, Europe, the U.S., and the UAE, yet corruption makes its origins nearly impossible to trace. As global demand surged and gold hit a record $140,000 per kilogram in late 2025, the gap between global wealth and local exploitation only widened.
The human cost is severe. Children work alongside women in toxic conditions, handling mercury in processes the International Labour Organization deems “exceptionally dangerous.” Miners also face brutal attacks from armed guards protecting corporate concessions.
The land pays a price too: forests erased, rivers poisoned, and over 60% of water bodies contaminated. This exhibition exposes the hidden violence behind global gold—and the lives it consumes.
ABOUT THE BOOK

The photo book format is 21 x 29,7 cm, hard cover, and printed on high-quality paper. The album contained 80 photographs and around 160 pages. It's the first and limited edition of 500 copies.
The foreword has been written by Ed Kashi, a renowned photojournalist, filmmaker, speaker, and educator who has been making images and telling stories for 40 years. The introduction by Melani Mennella ESQ, Human Rights Research Fellow; the photographs were edited by Tomasz Tomaszewski, a photographer specializes in journalistic photography and has had his photos published in major newspapers and magazines worldwide, and book editor experienced with long-form narratives.
FUNDED BY
COLLABORATION
MEDIA PARTNERS
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