Ken Hermann is a Danish photographer, whose images are pathways, connecting us to micro worlds and challenging us to rethink ideas of photographic representation. Passionate about individuals and their unique histories, he has been exploring the fragile balance between people and their environment.
"Since my early backpackers days 15 years ago, I was dreaming about taking the Trans-Siberian Railway but never made it... " He finally made his dream come true in the summer 2016 when he travelled across the vast grasslands running from the mountains of Inner Mongolia to the border of Outer Mongolia. On this occasion, Hermann shot the series Bökh shown above.
“When a boy is born in Inner Mongolia, his family pray for him to become a wrestler. This ancient tradition is the cornerstone of Mongolian culture dating back centuries to Genghis Khan’s reign when he used it to keep his soldiers battle-ready.” Hermann portrays these wrestlers either frontally, gazing proudly at us, or captures powerful actions.
“This unique form of wrestling governs status for young men within the community, as it is used as a marker of manliness,” he explains. “The bouts take place in the remote and desolate Grasslands, empty of the horizon except for a few scattered yurts and flocks of sheep.” His pictures compellingly convince us that “Mongolian wrestling feels like a dance.”
More information: kenhermann.dk
