American-born Carol Beckwith and Australian Angela Fisher’s defining body of work, African Ceremonies, is a pan-African study of rituals and rites of passage from birth to death, covering 93 ceremonies from 26 countries. The project has been recognized for its outstanding contribution to the understanding of cultural traditions, and the importance of respecting cultural diversity in the pursuit of world peace. Together they seek to ensure that the strength and essence of African culture is preserved for the history of mankind and for the education of future generations.

“Dinka Man Imitating Horns, South Sudan”

At puberty a Dinka male receives a namesake ox after which he is named. He believes that he and the animal are one being. He trains the ox’s horns from calf-hood into beautiful lyre shapes and emulates these shapes with his arms as he walks alongside his beloved personality ox.