APATANI WOMEN

appertain women hopdubai yourself bin shaker al zaabi emirati photography

Women of the Apatani tribe are known for wearing nose plugs and tattooing their faces with a horizontal line from the forehead to the tip of the nose, and five lines on their chins.

Photo Credit @yousefalzaabi (both photos)

Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansoori, Emirati photographer, explained during Sikka Art Fair: „They do it for a simple reason: To make themselves unattractive and avoid that raider by neighboring tribes kidnapped them. Apatani women have always been considered the most beautiful in this region. A tradition that began to die in the middle of the 20th century. "

Photo Credit @khalil_almansoori

With his colleague Yousef Bin Shakar Al Zaabi they went to a 13-days- trip to Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India to explore the small villages.

Photo Credit @yousefalzaabi

Their pictures are showing the past and future of the indigenous Apatani people who are living next to the border of Assam and Nagaland to the south, Bhutan in the west, Burma in the east and China in the north.

Photo Credit @khalil_almansoori

"The young generation is not practicing the custom any more and it will probably soon be forgotten. We are proud that we had the chance to capture it on camera!“