This series explores the art of African scarification and its meaning in West African societies. Used by different ethnic groups from the Fulanis in the west to the Dinka in the east, scarification marks were typically done as a body ornement from childhood or to transition to adulthood and created to signify particular meanings regarding one’s identity. This series reimagines this ancestral cultural practice in a contemporary setting by picturing the transition from childhood to adulthood of 2 young men and the legacy passed from their father. The subjects are adorned with traditional clothing called the bogolan worn by the Dogon people from Mali, a strong symbol of the Malian cultural identity. By merging cultural traditions with contemporary photography, the series pays homage to one of the continent’s most unique identity marker and to this art form that is getting lost more and more everyday.
Photography / Yannis Davy Guibinga
Creative Direction + MUA: Nallah Sangare