Description
This series of photos features bulgarian men, who perform traditional rituals intended to scare away evil spirits. This Bulgarian tradition has been practiced since Thracian times.
They are dressed in costumes that cover most of the body and include decorated wooden masks.
This men called kukeri are going around villages to scare away evil spirits their costumes and masks. Making kuker masks is a kind of art. They are made of wood, colorful threads, skins, fabrics and other elements are glued on them. The mask must by scary and ugly to "frighten" evil.
This series of photos is my personal version of Masks and people. It's captivating and unique ritual seen through my eyes. It show the people behind the masks and the masks behind the people. A kind of showing that each person wears a mask in a different way.
I am a photographer living in Sofia, Bulgaria. The biggest inspiration for my photographs are people.
Winner in Sony World Award 2023 - Regional Award Cuprus. Greece, Bulgaria & North Macedonia.
