John Kenny

Beads of the Omo Valley by John Kenny. C-Type print with Acrylic face mount.

2009

The Arbore of southern Ethiopia are a small group living within a few square miles of the Omo Valley. They are located near to Lake Stefanie, known locally as Chew Bahir, a body of ...

I met this young married Samburu in the middle of a busy market in western Kenya. She was with a group of young women browsing the wooden stalls dotted across the dusty red earth in the lowlands of the Matthew’s Range. In Samburu communities young men spend years as warriors – a wandering lifestyle which make it impossible for them to marry. Instead they take girlfriends and give them beads and necklaces to indicate their relationship. Samburu girls adore receiving these presents and adorn themselves in more and more necklaces. The girl in this picture, although now married to an elder, still shows her beads from the time of being promised to a warrior: they are the band of 8 or so thin necklaces...

I met this young married Samburu in the middle of a busy market in western Kenya. She was with a group of young women browsing the wooden stalls dotted across the dusty red earth in the lowlands of the Matthew’s Range. In Samburu communities young men spend years as warriors – a wandering lifestyle which make it impossible for them to marry. Instead they take girlfriends and give them beads and necklaces to indicate their relationship. Samburu girls adore receiving these presents and adorn themselves in more and more necklaces. The girl in this picture, although now married to an elder, still shows her beads from the time of being promised to a warrior: they are the band of 8 or so thin necklaces...

I met this young married Samburu in the middle of a busy market in western Kenya. She was with a group of young women browsing the wooden stalls dotted across the dusty red earth in the lowlands of the Matthew’s Range. In Samburu communities young men spend years as warriors – a wandering lifestyle which make it impossible for them to marry. Instead they take girlfriends and give them beads and necklaces to indicate their relationship. Samburu girls adore receiving these presents and adorn themselves in more and more necklaces. The girl in this picture, although now married to an elder, still shows her beads from the time of being promised to a warrior: they are the band of 8 or so thin necklaces...

"The Gaze" An iconic, fashion-inspired portrait of a young Rendille woman highlighting the bold and beautiful traditions of her remote tribal culture. The print series Desert Song:...

"The Gaze" An iconic, fashion-inspired portrait of a young Rendille woman highlighting the bold and beautiful traditions of her remote tribal culture. The print series Desert Song:...

"Untitled 2" In this best-selling, award-winning image, a Karo tribeswoman shows off her pierced lower lip. Self expression is paramount in this community, and both men and women c...

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