People and Daily Life in West Papua, Indonesia

David Somali-Chow

This project documents daily life among the highland communities of Wamena, West
Papua, Indonesia. It focuses on their close relationship with nature and the traditions preserved across generations. The series is human-centered, capturing dignity, resilience, and cultural identity through images. By emphasizing facial expressions and gestures, the photographs reveal everyone’s place within the wider community. All images are created respectfully and naturally. Traditional practices are presented as part of everyday life. These include stone- burning as a communal cooking ritual, finger-cutting as an expression of mourning, the selling of traditional handcrafts to visitors, and symbolic war reenactments that recall ancestral conflict and social balance. These customs are shown as living traditions. Traditional clothing and body decoration appear alongside subtle signs of modern life, reflecting a society in transition while maintaining its cultural identity.

The People and Daily Life in West Papua, Indonesia photo album

David Somali-Chow