Mukuru, 2009

John Kenny  

The small settlement of Otjitando in Namibia’s Kaokoland doesn’t seem far off the main gravel road on the map. In reality it is a hellish journey that requires regular running in front of a vehicle to clear jagged boulders and constructing parts of the road by lobbing rocks into craters to allow tyres and vehicle axles to negotiate them.

We drove the final 2 hours in darkness, inadvisable on such poor roads but safer than being stranded in the middle of nowhere. Finally a flickering light and the sound of voices meant that we had arrived. The hours of travel through deserted barren landscapes made this an unlikely place for human habitation, but this is the reality of much of the region.

The next morning we walked to the Himba settlement, and my Himba guide asked permission for us to enter. The kraal, or village, was composed of one man’s wives (Himba society is a polygamous) and his children. The girl in this photograph was one of his daughters. She sat amongst other girls, applying a thick paste of ochre and butter fat to the thick strands of her hair. This is a daily beauty ritual in Himba society. Even without this fresh application of ochre, however, her effortless beauty would have been obvious.

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.

C-type photograph with a UV-protective acrylic face mount and metal subframe. The piece is hung from the subframe and sits away from the wall. The standard acrylic has a gloss finish. Other sizes are also available if you would like more information please enquire.