Cowboy of Wamba, 2009

John Kenny  

Elder of the Samburu in Northwest Kenya in 2009.

Kenny says "I met this remarkable Samburu elder at the livestock market near to Wamba, a town in the heart of the Samburu district. It is a ‘Samburu Only’ event, where the social aspect of meeting friends seems almost more important than the trading. This was particularly noticeable for the elders of the Samburu community, most of whom were engrossed in conversations and elaborate greetings with their peers.

I later met a lady representing Samburu women’s communities in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. She kindly invited me to stay in her house and I offered to show her my project. As I opened the first image a broad smile spread across her face and she commented “Ah I see you know my brother-in-law.”

John Kenny’s work is all shot on location in some of the remotest corners of Africa. His images are all taken with natural light and his subjects in their day to day attire.

The C-type prints are mounted with an acrylic face mount giving them a 3-dimensional appearance and a contemporary look.