What’s On: Guy Needham: The Dani of Papua
This stunning photography exhibition offers a glimpse into a world a far cry from the one most of us are privvy to.
What: Guy Needham: The Dani of Papua
When: September 26th – October 8th
Where: The Grey Place, Auckland
In the Indonesian province of Papua lives a tribe thousands of years old, yet unknown to the rest of the world until 1938. The Dani still live a simple life and, while not isolated from the march of modernity their traditions and values have endured. Today they still hunt with bows and arrows in the Papua region of Indonesia, and dress traditionally for celebrations, including wearing a horim or penis gourd.
This photographic exhibition is a testament to the Dani; a collection of intimate portraits displaying both a quiet intensity and a subtle momentum.
Guy Needham’s inquisitive worldview was shaped by growing up in rural New Zealand in the 1970s. Today he is noted for his work with indigenous tribes, primarily drawing on themes of identity and place within cultural narratives. The Dani are the 8th tribe he’s spent time with.
His images have been exhibited in New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, Tokyo, Athens, Los Angeles and Sydney, and have been seen on the pages of National Geographic Traveler, Lonely Planet, Get Lost, SUITCASE Magazine, International Traveler, Portrait Magazine and AFAR.