Emoy - Suri Boy in the Reeds Print

Hand-painted, completely original watercolour of a young Suri boy resting amongst reeds, draped in a traditional shawl, painted on 100% cotton rag. I was captivated by the intense, soulful gaze of this boy during my visit to the Suri Tribe. He was an intelligent and charming young man who had hopes of going to university when he was older. Like many of the friends and extended family of his generation, he sees higher education as the only way to preserve and protect his culture and traditions in the increasingly modern world. He was hopeful, but he was also realistic about how hard the future might be. “Emoy” is the Suri word for the reeds that grow beside the river. I love the challenge of painting portraits in watercolour, but I also feel there is a vibrancy and luminosity that is difficult to achieve in other mediums. A portion of all sales of artworks will go to Survival International to support tribal rights in Ethiopia.