Dek Unu Magazine - Biljana Jurukovski

Macedonian-Australian photographer, explorer, and adventurer, Biljana Jurukovski, documents the iconic beautification tradition of the Surma tribe from Ethiopia and South Sudan. Far from tourist snaps and textbook illustrations, these are formal portraits, deeply-seen, designed to reveal the strength, dignity, and creativity of the culture and of each of its individuals. Most North Americans know very little about Africa and even less about the vast variety of its indigenous people. Biljana's work reveals the beauty and diversity beneath the thin crust of information provided by network news and "civilized" stereotypes, part of a world rarely seen or talked about. The photos are technically perfect, the costumes and adornments are fantastic, but the real message is in the eyes... see them well.