NAZIA PARVEZ has led a semi-nomadic lifestyle traveling the globe. Most recently, she completed a cross-continent trans-Saharan trip from London to West Africa through France, Italy, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Niger, Mali, Guinea and finally to Sierra Leone. Her first show, in 2001, was a collection of images from Sierra Leone. It was presented in association with, and to benefit, Amnesty International in an effort to raise awareness of the trade in ‘Blood Diamonds’ in this war-torn West African nation. In a similar vein, Nazia has contributed work, focusing on the ‘Child Soldiers of Sierra Leone’ to the Independent Newspaper in London.