The Suri People and Their Body Art

Artist Statement

Reverence is a feeling of deep respect, tinged with awe.

Growing up in Southeast Asia within missionary communities, I was infused with reverence and with empathy for cultures and communities not my own. Born in Thailand, I spoke Thai before English. By the time I graduated from high school, I had attended fifteen different schools in five countries.

Over the past decade, I have resumed traveling the world, most recently visiting remote areas in southern Ethiopia’s lower Omo Valley. While there, I developed a deep respect – even awe – for the proud people of the Suri tribe and their exquisite adornments based on local natural materials. With these images, I hope to celebrate the beauty and strength of these people and affirm our shared humanity.

The Suri paint their bodies in intricate patterns, using natural pigments ground from local rocks and mixed with water. Clay or wooden earlobe discs and lip plates extend the Suri body canvas. Many Suri wear discs in their stretched earlobes. Women of marriageable and child-bearing age often choose to wear lip plates. Carefully sculpted scar patterns are another popular adornment for Suri women. Beyond providing opportunities for play and creativity, this body art fulfills other social functions, such as attracting a partner. These longstanding traditions, still practiced with whimsy and freedom, are an integral part of Suri life.

Suri parents name their children with a word or phrase triggered by the circumstances at or soon after a birth. These name choices can provide fascinating glimpses into the local culture. The names usually begin with a special prefix: “Nga…” for girls, “Bar…” for boys.

Suri territory is remote and difficult to reach, the number of outside visitors low. Sessions with visitors can bring out even more Suri body artistry, including creative extensions of the traditional adornments and further imaginative additions, using natural materials like flowers, fruits, grasses, shells, or animal skins.

This small tribe (with fewer than 35,000 members) faces significant stresses, including externally from encroaching development and aggressive tribal neighbors. During the coronavirus pandemic, the visitor flow ceased; the economic impact has been serious. I am inspired by the resilience and grace I found in these proud people and will be sharing the proceeds from this work with Suri support groups.

For contrast with the Suri, this collection also includes a few images of two other lower Omo Valley tribal groups, the Hamar and the Kara.

Setting the Scene

The lower Omo Valley of Ethiopia hosts a vibrant cultural tapestry, including numerous small tribes with a wiende range of languages and traditions. Suri territory is west of the Omo River and spans the Kibish River in the east. 

The valley’s prehistory is rich, earning it designation as a World Heritage Site. Fossils found at the Omo I and II sites on each bank of the river have been dated to about 195,000 years ago and are the earliest known evidence worldwide of our Homo sapiens species. 

Historically, the Omo Valley and its inhabitants were largely self-sufficient and isolated from the rest of the country and the world. In recent decades, however, the Ethiopian central government has increased its presence in the area, including by promoting development measures, like internationally owned industrial scale plantations along the river and a major dam. The Gibe III dam, when fully commissioned, will be the third largest hydroelectric plant in Africa. The Gibe IV dam is under construction downstream, with Gibe V planned, as well. The Gibe dams and the intensively irrigated plantations are substantially impacting the lives of lower valley tribes.

The eastern side of the Omo Valley has a longer history of accessibility and resulting outside visitors and influence. One of the most visible tribes there, the Mursi, have much in common with the Suri, both in language and traditions. The Kara and Hamar tribes, further south, share language and cultural heritages. The Kara tribe, however, is much smaller than the others. Also, their livestock emphasis is almost entirely on sheep and goats, versus cattle.

Selected References

Abbink, Jon, Bryant, Michael and Bambu, Daniel. Suri Orature: Introduction to the Society, Language and Oral Culture of the Suri People (Southwest Ethiopia). Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, 2013.

Clack, Timothy and Brittain, Marcus (editors). The River: Peoples and Histories of the Omo-Turkana Area. Oxford: Archaeopress Publishing, Ltd.: 2018.

Verswijver, Gustaaf and Silvester, Hans. Omo Peoples & Design. Paris: Éditions de La Martinière. 2008