Mud Man

Papua New Guinea, 2006

In the highlands of Papua New Guinea, the region’s many tribes still live by the mysterious dictations of the spirit world. Many of the traditions and cultures of the highlanders have been influenced by western society since first contact around the 1940’s. However, important cultural events, such as the Mount Hagen Sing Sing, where I photographed this Asaro tribesman, still occur yearly and celebrate the unique customs and rituals of each community. The Asaro people dig into the rich mud of the Asaro River, creating and donning these masks to hide them from their enemies both in the physical and spirit world.