Party time! A late-afternoon communal dance in a small Kara settlement (Korcho) set high on a fertile east bank of southern Ethiopia's lower Omo River. Adorned with finger-painted white-chalk body markings, glass-bead necklaces, and clay hair buns with ostrich feathers.
The essential life-sustaining Omo River is situated (out of sight) below the edge of a steep riverbank in the backdrop. The Nyangatom (past enemies, current allies) are established on other side of the river. The river carves a hard winding course south through the volcanic-rock floor of the Great Rift Valley for another 50-60 kilometres before pouring into Lake Turkana at the border with Kenya.
This photograph pays homage to the extraordinary analog images of the peoples of East Africa that appear in the seminal book Vanishing Africa, published in 1971 by eminent Africanist and social documentary photographer, Mirella Ricciardi.
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Peoples of the Omo Valley
Rethinking Portraiture | Social Documentary | Lonely Planet
Tags: kara indigenous africa tribe tradition portrait people pastoral omo nomadic lip-disc lip-plug hairbun ethnic ethiopia custom documentary karo bodyart faces bodypainting DavidSchweitzer DocumentaryPhotography StreetPhotography HumanInterest VisualAnthropology PhotoJournalism DocumentaryPortrait StreetPortrait VanishingCultures dancers culture backlight
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Young Kara men (warrior age-group) prepare for an early-evening communal dance in a small settlement (Korcho) set high on the fertile east bank of southern Ethiopia's lower Omo River. Adorned with finger-painted white-chalk body markings, glass-bead necklaces, and clay hair buns with ostrich feathers.
The essential life-sustaining Omo River is situated (out of sight) below the edge of a steep riverbank in the backdrop. The Nyangatom (past enemies, current allies) are established on other side of the river. The river carves a hard winding course south through the volcanic-rock floor of the Great Rift Valley for another 50-60 kilometres before pouring into Lake Turkana at the border with Kenya.
© All rights to these photos and descriptions are reserved. expl#27
.Peoples of the Omo Valley
Documentary Portraiture | National Geographic | BodyArt
Tags: kara indigenous africa warrior tribe tradition portrait people pastoral omo nomadic lip-disc lip-plug hairbun ethnic ethiopia body custom documentary karo earrings bodyart faces jewelry bodypainting DavidSchweitzer DocumentaryPhotography StreetPhotography HumanInterest VisualAnthropology PhotoJournalism DocumentaryPortrait StreetPortrait VanishingCultures dancers culture art YBS24Portrait
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"To possess the world in the form of images is, precisely, to re-experience the unreality and remoteness of the the real." Susan Sontag, On Photography
Biwa, an esteemed Kara elder and charismatic leader, pauses for a moment to volunteer this near-surreal pose during preparations for an early-evening communal dance in a small settlement set high on the east bank of Ethiopia's lower Omo River.
Adorned with finger-painted white-chalk body markings and brass earrings. The ivory lip-button and clay hair bun with ostrich feather reflect a "culture of heroism" shared with other tribes in the region, one that glorifies and rewards individual acts of bravery for killing an enemy or a dangerous wild animal that may threaten the settlement.
© All rights to these photos and descriptions are reserved. Any use of this work requires my prior written permission.
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Peoples of the Omo Valley
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Biwa, an esteemed Kara (Karo) elder and charismatic leader, offered this near-surreal pose during preparations for an evening communal dance in Korcho, a small pastoral settlement set high on the east bank of Ethiopia's lower Omo River.
Adorned with finger-painted white-chalk body markings and brass earrings. The ivory lip-button and clay hair bun with ostrich feather reflect a "culture of heroism" shared with other tribes in the region, one that glorifies and rewards individual acts of bravery for the killing of an enemy or a dangerous wild animal.
© All rights reserved
Street Portraiture | Social Documentary | BodyArt
Tags: kara indigenous africa warrior tribe tribal tradition portrait people pastoral painted face paint ostrich feather omo valley nomadic man lip-disc lip-plug hairbun fighter ethnic jewellery ethiopia elder decoration chalk brass body afrique african culture custom traditional aesthetics documentary karo earrings bodyart faces facial markings jewelry bodypainting DavidSchweitzer DocumentaryPhotography StreetPhotography HumanInterest VisualAnthropology PhotoJournalism DocumentaryPortrait StreetPortrait VanishingCultures square 500x500 art
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Finger-painted chalk torso of a young Kara man preparing for a late afternoon communal dance in a small settlement on the east bank of the lower Omo River, southwestern Ethiopia.
BodyArt
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