Behind the Lens: Documenting Lamu's Disappearing Heritage

Lamu Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site off Kenya's northern coast, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited Swahili settlements in East Africa. Its narrow streets, carved wooden doors, and coral stone architecture tell a story spanning over 700 years. But that story is changing — fast.

A Race Against Time

When I first visited Lamu in 2019, I was struck by the tension between preservation and progress. Young people were leaving for the mainland. Traditional dhow-building skills were fading. The iconic wooden doors that once adorned every home were being replaced by steel alternatives.

I knew I had to document what remained before it was too late. Over three months in 2024, I photographed the people, places, and traditions that make Lamu extraordinary — from the elderly craftsman who still carves doors by hand to the fishermen who read the monsoon winds as their ancestors did.

The Power of the Portrait

Each portrait in the "Faces of Lamu" series is a collaboration. I spent days getting to know my subjects before lifting a camera. Mama Zainab, a 78-year-old henna artist, shared stories of Lamu's golden age while decorating a bride's hands. Hassan, a teenage boat builder, talked about his dreams while sanding a dhow hull.

These aren't just photographs — they're conversations preserved in light and shadow.

Why It Matters

Cultural documentation isn't nostalgia. It's a form of resistance against erasure. Every image in this series is an argument that these traditions have value — not just as museum exhibits, but as living practices that can adapt and thrive in the modern world.