In Hawaii, the volcano's repentant: "I see it as a metaphor for the abusive use of our planet's resources"

The deities can be merciless with us poor humans. Especially when, on vacation, during an excursion, we surreptitiously grab a pebble, a handful of sand, a shell, or a fossil, without thinking, just for the pleasure of bringing it home. Many of those who indulged in this vanity in Hawaii are kicking themselves. Pele, the goddess of the American volcanoes lost in the Pacific, is said to cast spells on them, irritated as she is by the countless thefts of samples of lava, rock, and ash of which she considers herself the target.

Revered for her ability to create and destroy, this long-haired young woman triggers eruptions and earthquakes by wielding a magic wand. If she feels like punishing humans, her victims are quick to apologize for their misdeeds and return their punishments by mail, accompanied by handwritten repentances. These letters refer to more or less painful misfortunes that allegedly occurred shortly after the theft: car breakdown, job loss, disappearance of a pet, illness, sudden death of family members...

These are the very real writings that Ryan Thompson, 44, wanted to reveal to the general public. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, where he teaches art and design at Trinity Christian College, the photographer examines with equal parts humor and gravity these hundreds of little words that he discovered between 2019 and 2024, conscientiously archived by Haleakalā National Park on the island of Maui and by the Volcanoes National Park on the island of Hawaii.

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