Dutch photographer Henk Bothof has been visiting the Suri people in Ethiopia for over 20 years. From the very first moment he was deeply impressed by the Suri and their traditional culture, and an intense connection developed. He has become an insider, and one of the few who can photographically record all aspects of the Suri lifestyle: the wearing of lip plates, the stick fights, scarifications, body painting and drinking cow's blood – but even a number of 'secret' ceremonies, such as the naming ceremony and the gerari ritual.
Henk's photos are not taken from an anthropological or ethnological point of view, but stem from an unconditional fascination for the pure beauty of the Suri in all their colour and appearances. Confrontational or subdued, sober or exuberant, very much unaffected by time. The approximately 80 photos in the book are enchantingly beautiful, intimate yet majestic, magical images from a vanishing way of life.
For modern times are slowly but surely catching up with the Suri, from capitalism that forces many Suri to turn to ‘regular’ work, the government that labels certain customs as primitive and even wants to ban them, to tourism, which sees traditions as mere antics. Yet many Suri remain loyal to the age-old traditions of their people.
Henk Bothof has a way of portraying the Suri respectfully. As his Suri friend Barkede says: ‘I am happy and proud that Henk conveys the beauty of the Suri culture in this book. It means a lot to us.’
‘Kuni Ori’, which translates as ‘where do you come from’, is published in a limited edition of only 75 copies. It comes in a luxurious linen box, together with three exclusive prints of amazing images from the book, that are signed by the photographer and numbered. In addition, an original ceramic lip plate is included, as worn by the Suri women.
