Thirty years of work on the African continent have carried Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher across 270,000 miles and through remote corners of 40 countries in exploration of more than 150 African cultures. In the process, this team of world-renowned photographers has produced 15 widely acclaimed books and made four films about traditional Africa.
While the lifeways they document may appear timeless, these committed explorers are driven by a sense that they work against the clock. They view Africa’s traditional cultures as threatened, the ancient ways in danger of being lost in a vast melting pot of modernity. According to Fisher and Beckwith: “These unique cultures possess a wealth of knowledge that should be celebrated, shared, and honored. It is our life passion to document and create a powerful visual record of these vanishing ways of life for future generations.”
Most recently, Beckwith and Fisher have completed their latest book, Painted Bodies of Africa, exploring the fascinating and seductive art of African body painting, to be released in October 2012. Their previous book, Dinka: Legendary Cattle Keepers of Sudan, was the fruit of a 30-year study documenting the vanishing people in war-torn Sudan. They have received numerous awards from organizations around the world for their work, including the coveted Lowell Thomas Award of the Explorers Club, given only to the world’s most distinguished explorers.
RECORDING THE PAST, SUPPORTING THE FUTURE
“African Ceremonies Inc, our charitable foundation, is dedicated to the preservation of African tribal traditions through the photographic documentation of ceremonies and customs, thereby ensuring that the strength and essence of African culture is preserved for the history of mankind and for the education of future generations.
The Foundation is also dedicated to carrying out community and individual projects, serving the needs of the groups with whom Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher have lived.” -Carol Beckwith & Angela Fisher
