Kaokoland - The Himba

Portraits / October 2009

The Himba socieities living in Namibia's arid, rugged Kaokoland region are visually unique. Himba women combine ochre and buttermilk to incredible effect: the skin glows with a metallic red sheen that sits over an earthy brown base.

What results is a colour and effect rarely ever seen elsewhere, perhaps with the exception of small parts of Hamer women (i.e. the neck and hair) living in the Omo Valley in Ethiopia. The combination of colour and reflectivity of light on female Himba skin is an incredibly powerful vision, and my aim was to capture some of the these effects through this series.

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