Edward Musungu: Celebrating the Heritage of Lake Turkana
This year at the CONTACT Photography Festival, Edward Musungu’s photographic series is on display at Regis College. It offers a vibrant look into the Lake Turkana Cultural Festival 2024, held from June 7–9 in Loiyangalani, northern Kenya. Through his lens, Musungu brings to life the richness, resilience, and beauty of over fourteen ethnic communities that gather annually to celebrate their heritage.
The Lake Turkana Cultural Festival is more than a cultural event, it’s a dynamic celebration of identity, history, and unity. Communities such as the Turkana, Samburu, El Molo, and Rendille showcase their unique traditions through music, dance, visual art, crafts, and ceremonial rituals. Musungu captures these moments with precision, providing an intimate look at traditions that are often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
At Regis College, four striking photographs are mounted on a concrete wall, each filled with bold colors, raw emotion, and genuine joy. Accompanying them is a digital slideshow of additional photographs: women layered in intricate beadwork, elders wrapped in woven garments, children proudly draped in the Kenyan flag, and dancers caught mid-movement, their energy and pride leaping off the screen.
In Musungu’s work, attire speaks volumes. Beads are carefully layered around necks, framing faces and cascading in vibrant patterns. These designs are not only visually striking but also deeply symbolic, reflecting communal identity, ancestral lineage, and cultural pride. Some color palettes echo the Kenyan flag, while others express individual and tribal identity.
What shines through most is the spirit behind each image. Confidence radiates from women, men, elders, and children, each asserting their place within a legacy of resilience and belonging. These are not simply portraits; they offer an immersive invitation to celebrate the unity of the Lake Turkana Festival.
Musungu’s series serves as a cultural archive and a contribution to the global art conversation. By spotlighting the histories, traditions, and joy of the Lake Turkana communities, Musungu reclaims space for African narratives and ensures that these voices continue to resonate far beyond the festival itself.
Abuk Lual
All images: Edward Musungu, Celebrating the Heritage of Lake Turkana, 2024. Photographs by Edward Musungu, courtesy of CONTACT Photography Festival.
*Exhibition information: Edward Musungu, Celebrating the Heritage of Lake Turkana, May 1 – May 31, 2025, Regis College, 100 Wellesley St W Toronto. Gallery hours: Mon – Fri 8:30am – 4:30 pm.