ARTWORKS
In the grasslands of South Sudan, the Mundari people live in deep symbiosis with their Ankole-Watusi cattle – revered not as livestock but as family, currency, nourishment, and spiritual anchors. Their lives revolve around the care and protection of these towering animals, with daily rituals that include ash massages, urine washes, and milking at dawn.
This series was created during a time of severe drought and increasing tribal conflict, when families were forced to migrate frequently and armed guards patrolled the cattle camps to prevent raids. Despite these challenges, the Mundari’s traditions have remained intact – each person plays a role in maintaining the delicate balance between survival and ceremony.
But that balance is shifting. A newly constructed highway is connecting their remote lands to South Sudan’s capital and introducing technology to the camps for the first time. This work documents a way of life on the verge of transformation – shaped by ancient customs, yet increasingly vulnerable to the pressures of a modernizing world.
