Photovoice: Preserving Culture Through Storytelling

​

​

Photography is more than a visual record—it is a means of preserving identity, memory, and traditional ecological knowledge. This series emerges from a STEAM-based (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Photovoice initiative at the Nashulai Maasai Conservancy in Kenya, where collaboration between artists and the Maasai community bridges generations through storytelling and image-making.

Photographers Andy Bale and Jon Cox worked closely with Maasai Elders, using a large-format black-and-white camera to create portraits that honor their presence and knowledge. Through intergenerational workshops, younger Maasai community members documented the medicinal uses of local flora, recording ancestral knowledge that might otherwise fade. Inspired by Anna Atkins, a photographer, and botanist in the 1840s, participants created cyanotype prints—deep blue-toned images infused with handwritten documentation of plant names, healing properties, and preparation methods.

This project exists at the intersection of art, science, and tradition, where image-making becomes an act of cultural preservation. Integrating photography with STEAM disciplines empowers communities to reclaim their narratives, ensuring that knowledge is passed down through images and accompanying text. The exhibition invites viewers to engage with the power of visual storytelling, embracing education and cross-cultural understanding.