Abstract Hamer Women Drawing

I met this group of Hamer tribeswomen at the traditional Whipping Ceremony in the Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia in summer 2016. There were many tourist photographers pushing each other around to get a better view, so I took out my sketchbook and started to draw the women rather than attempt to take photographs. I turned the quick sketches into a series of larger drawings. I used charcoal on newspaper as I wanted to use materials that would be available to me if I lived in a tribal village. I loved the way that the women were hanging around in gossiping groups, dressed in their finery as they would be at any ceremony anywhere in the world. I wanted to capture their beauty and spirit and bring it back home with me. I hope that the excitement and colour of the event is evident in the drawing. I used black and white because I wanted to highlight the shapes of the garments, the accessories and the way the women's bodies compliment the space around them.The charcoal and the chalk helps to make the shapes more fluid and contributes to the movement. I chose an abstract expressionist style to highlight and exaggerate their curves and attitudes. They look to me like they have stepped out of the pages of a western fashion magazine, though they have probably never seen one! The drawing is professionally framed and strung at the back, ready to be hung. The frame is rigid black plastic, with glass.

Drawing:Chalk on Paper

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:23.2 W x 33.5 H x 0.6 D in

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