Les Tribus De L'Omo - The Painted People of the Surma and

Mursi Tribes in Southern Ethiopia - Photos by Hans

Silvester

In the Omo Valley of Southern Ethiopia live many tribes of people

who use amazing body art to adorn themselves for

enjoyment and as an artistic expression. They use flowers,

leaves, twigs and face and body paint made from natural pigments

such as red ochre.

The tribes people re-paint and re-decorate their bodies up to three times a day, the way we might change outfits. Their

body decor often incorporates intricate and beautiful headpieces or “hats” constructed of natural materials.

The people of the Surma and Mursi tribes are body painters: they paint their bodies with pigments made from the earth as an immemorial and quotidian practice – mothers paint babies, children and adults paint themselves and each other in a tradition that seems unchanged for thousands of years.

Their paintings range from abstract designs of circles, lines, dots and swirls, sometimes focused on specific body parts, to all-over patterns of flowers, zig-zags and fingerprints that form a dazzling array on the entire body. White, yellow, orange and ochre; the natural pigments that they use are derived from the soil and rocks of their surroundings.

The tribes’ daily paintings are an essential expression of their lives – more elemental to them than music or dance. Fascinated by the Surma and Mursi tribes’ painting practices and astounded by the beauty of their ephemeral art, Silvester captures the diverse and extraordinary effects that they achieve through their ancient tradition.

Hans Sylvester photographed for six years tribes of the Omo River across Ethiopia, Sudan and Kenya, in Africa.  It is a volcanic

region providing an immense palette of pigments, ocher-red, white kaolin, copper-green, luminous yellow and ash-grey.

Hans Silvester, Artist/Photographer

1938 Born in Lorrach, Germany

Natural Fashion

How is our culture similar to these tribes?

Why do you think people in any culture want to decorate their

bodies?

Some may use zebra skins for leggings, snail shells for necklaces and clay to stick their wonderful designs to their heads.As they paint each other's bodies and make bold decisions about their outfits(all without the aid of mirrors), it seems that the only thing that motivates them is the sheer fun of creating their looks, and showing them off to other members of the tribe.As a celebration of themselves and of their stunning environment, this is truly an African fashion parade like no other.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-516490/Out-Africa-The-incredible-tribal-fashion-inspired-Mother-Nature.html#ixzz168e6UadS

Resources

• http://www.artnet.com/galleries/exhibitions.asp?gid=143541&cid=145958

• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-516490/Out-Africa-The-incredible-tribal-fashion-inspired-Mother-Nature.html#ixzz168e6UadS

• http://www.storyculture.com/blog/2009/01/hans-silvester-ethiopia-painted-omo-tribe-photographs.html

• http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02E3DB103EF935A1575AC0A96E9C8B63