Les Tribus De L'Omo - The Painted People of the Surma and Mursi Tribes in Southern Ethiopia - Photos by Hans Silvester

Every now and then I discover with great joy a part of our world which leaves me filled with wonder. In the case of the Surma and Mursi people in Ethiopia, my delight is also visual. 

© Hans Silvester. All rights reserved.

I'm breathlessly left with the impulse to paint: canvases, my body, something, everything.

© Hans Silvester. All rights reserved.

Silvester describes his mission, "what’s most important for me is saving, in some way, as much as possible of this truly living art, which is mobile, changing, subject to infinite variation, and whose constituent elements are simple and form a link between man and nature. It seems to me that our modern painting found the purpose of these elements, this simplicity, and used it as its foundation."

HERE IS A SLIDE SHOW OF MORE THAN FIFTY OF SILVESTER'S IMAGES

Tribus de L'OMO / Hans Silvester

I'm happy to report that Hans Silvester has a new book featuring these photographs. The title is Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa. It is available now at amazon.com HERE.

Hans Silvester published part one of this two book series in April 2007. It is Ethiopia: Peoples of the Omo Valley. The first volume of the deluxe two-volume set presents the everyday lives of the Omo people, their rituals, parades, children’s games, and even their battles. Silvester's text details his experience.

Learn more about Hans Silvester's  time with the L'omo people at the Marlborough Gallery website HERE.

My thanks to Jayne McKay and Fifty is the New for alerting me to Hans Silvester's slide show.

Comments

[Cathy Fischer]

Thanks for sharing these amazing photos and linking back to Fifty is the New. They take my breath away. Very cool site, happy to discover you!

[kwame Sometimer GBEMU]

Well am looking for photo you posted on the Würzburg programm 2009 with a beautiful African woman from Kenya tribe massai.is that possible to send me this particular photo I've been following your shoots in the Festival's magazines for for long, am a bass player from Togo,and leane in Berlin. thanx

[Lalla Porter]

I am sorry to say I do not have Hans Silvester's contact information, though I'd asked his publisher for it. Last year, there was a show of his work at the Marlborough Gallery. This link has their contact information. Perhaps they can help you. Best of luck to you. -- Lalla
http://www.artnet.com/Galleries/About.asp?G=&gid=143541&which=&rta=http://www.artnet.com

[Mariuccia Iaconi]

Where can one purchase the book?

[Lalla Porter]

Thank you for asking. Amazon.com sells the book.

[me.yahoo.com/a/9Y6W05Agk4sU7PsxeP7cvCf.Zd8-]

Hi, do you know if SILVESTER or any other photographers have any other photos of the Mursi tribe that has the women who put the plates in their mouths...like this... http://omovalley.com/The-Mursi-people-is-the-most-popular-tribe-in-Omo-Valley.php Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

[Lalla Porter]

I'm sorry, but I don't know.