Portraits series of Afar people. Afar are nomad pastoralist people of the Horn of Africa. They live in northeastern Ethiopia, southeastern Eritrea, and Djibouti. They still somehow nowadays continue to have a traditional lifestyle, in accordance with their ancient traditions, way of life, culture, customs and rites. They are however increasingly affected by the global economy while being discriminated against by the central government of Ethiopia.
Afar are nomad pastoralist people of the Horn of Africa. They live in northeastern Ethiopia, southeastern Eritrea, and Djibouti. There are about 1.4 million Afar in the three countries. They are, with the Issas (from Somalia) the dominant people in the region. They still somehow nowadays continue to have a traditional lifestyle, in accordance with their ancient traditions, way of life, culture, customs and rites.
The Afar photograph series is a relatively long term project. Although this work has an aesthetical and formal dimension, it also encompasses a documentary and ethnological element, centered on the Afar, their traditional way of life, culture and traditions.
In the face of global economy and ecological changes where the beauties of the planet are scarified to the imperatives of the industrial world and its consumerism, this project tends to portray the Afar people and their environment, still largely preserved before it irreparably vanishes away.
The photographs are an attempt to portray the beauty and majesty of the Afar people and of a region of the world still pretty much unspoiled where human communities continue to live according to their ancient cultures and traditions, as well as to keep a memory of that group.
This project is ideally also about showing and understanding the need to protect the Afar people, their culture and environment, and inspire action for their preservation.
Finally and more generally there is an aspiration to sublimate an Africa not stigmatized by all the evils through which she is usually shown (wars, epidemics, famines, poverty ...), which are unfortunately very much reducing its complexity and its inherent beauty.
The photograph series on Afar was started in November 2010. Since Frederic de Woelmont has made three trips between 2010 and 2012 in Afar. So far he has spent about four months in total immersion in the Afar community, sharing their life in their camps and settlements.
In terms of image production, the project is, as of 2013, 85 percent completed, with a selection of approximately 60 photographs that may be shown at exhibitions or published in a book. It is expected that Frederic go at least a fourth time in Afar to complete the series. The photographs were taken with a Hasselblad 500 CM, lenses of 80 and 150 mm, and Kodak Portra 400 asa film.