THE ALTAI

‘The Altai: Hunters and Herders of Mongolia’ is a photography exhibition featuring over 40 images that offer an authentic reflection of the culture and traditional lifestyle of Mongolia’s iconic Kazakh eagle hunters, horsemen and semi-nomadic animal herders.

In the rugged and remote Altai Mountains of western Mongolia, where Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia meet, Kazakh people have for centuries developed and nurtured a special bond with golden eagles, training the birds to hunt foxes and other small animals for meat and fur.

Traditionally passed from father to son at a young age, the ancient custom of hunting with eagles on horseback is considered a great source of pride amongst Kazakh communities, whose livelihoods depend on the animals they raise and the land that sustains them.

Far removed from the basic infrastructure that has become part of the fabric of modern life, the landscape of the Altai is beautiful, yet unforgiving. Its vast, desolate valleys stretch endlessly towards the jagged ridges in the distance, with a dusting of snow signaling the onset of a long, hard winter.

From training horses to milking yaks and butchering meat, the daily demands of a traditional herding family’s life are many, allowing little time for the pursuit of personal ambitions away from home.

An arduous and challenging lifestyle, parents often send their children to boarding schools in towns and cities, sometimes far from home, in the hope of their children securing a more comfortable future. With the rapid rise of urbanization and the increasing threat of climate change affecting the cultural heritage of Mongolia’s rural populations, this photography exhibition offers an insight into a traditional way of life that is likely to look quite different in years to come.

All images in this exhibition are available to purchase as Limited Edition fine art prints produced on museum quality Hahnemühle Fine Art Giclee Paper with archival pigment inks and high resolution inkjet printers. 10% of the proceeds from prints sold during the exhibition will be donated to help support rural communities in the Mongolian Altai region, including the proud families featured in these images, who so graciously welcomed me into their homes and lives.