Azkya & Zila
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ᝰ THE STORY
It was during my trip to the highlands of Dieng, in Central Java, that I had this curious encounter with two young sisters, Azkya, five (left), and Zila, six (right).
Those two sisters have a unique and special story because they belong to the gimbal children, who have naturally dreadlocked hair; you can glimpse at them on Zila's head.
This style is widely known as “Rastafarian”, and more commonly associated with Jamaica, but here it is not a choice—rather, it is an accepted natural phenomenon for some of the Javanese children of the Dieng plateau, like Azkya and Zila, their mother tells me.
“Not all the kids in this village can grow dreadlock hair. But for those who can, like my daughters, it means they were somehow chosen by their ancestors to accept such hair as gifts,” she says.
“After they were born, Azkya and Zila had normal hair, just like other children’s,” their mother recalls. “The dreadlocks only started to appear when they were about two years old. First, they had a strange high fever for about a month, which can't be explained but remains typical with these children. The sickness does not respond to medical treatment but abates naturally once the hair starts to become matted and turns into dreadlocks,” she explains.
After the children have grown dreadlocks, there is a ceremony called Ruwatan Gimbal where they have their hair shaved off. When the children no longer want their gimbal hair, they usually ask for gifts from their parents a week before the ceremony. “It is hard to believe but children can ask anything they want! If my daughters were to ask for 200 golden necklaces, then it is our responsibility as parents to meet that request. If not, we may threaten the health of our own children who could become vulnerable to deadly spirits and diseases,” the mother tells me. “People do not always believe how expensive the Ruwatan Gimbal can be!”
Sometimes, this causes trouble for parents, particularly if they are barely making ends meet, but following this important ritual is also a test of the parent's belief in the local mythology. All steps must be respected in order to perform the ceremony correctly, so if the parents fail to meet their child’s request, the ceremony cannot be carried out fully and the dreadlocked hair cannot be cut.
After the hairs are cut, they must be purified and then taken to a sacred lake where they are submerged as a symbol of returning them to the ancestors, so that the children always stay safe and prosperous.
Meeting Azkya and Zila made me question my beliefs about reality again. It made me understand that life is actually a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved. This myth showed me that things do not always follow a plan, they happen according to our own timeline, and we should have faith in their outcome if we want them to be accomplished as we want them to be.
📍Dieng, Central Java 🗓 2018
❏ Fine Art Print
Printed on 210 gsm high-quality matte paper with 10-color digital inkjet technology. Can be matted and/or framed.
Available in the following dimension:
• 60 x 40 cm | 24 x 16”
❏ Aluminum Print
Printed on a sleek 3-mm, triple-layered aluminum composite material for a matte, reflection-free result using state-of-the-art printing method. Water-resistant, durable UV read-to-hang print suitable for sheltered, outdoor areas.
Available in the following dimension:
• 60 x 40 cm | 24 x 16”
Collector's Limited Edition of 15 copies worldwide.
Processed in Europe on one of the glossiest and most expensive photographic papers in the world—Fujiflex Crystal Archive.
The Fujiflex Crystal Archive paper is a special chromogenic paper with an ultra-high-gloss surface producing the highest professional photographic substrate currently available in the world. The quality of this paper is incomparable with any other papers on the market today.
This silver halide, true photographic printing material on a polyester base is produced to the highest gallery and competition standards. It is printed through a specialized process using laser exposure technology.
Your photograph is not printed like other papers with ink. It is instead exposed into the silver halide base with lasers and is then chemically processed.
The final result has to be seen to be believed as it leaves mica crystals on the paper that, when properly lit, produce a strikingly three-dimensional luxurious look and an appearance of being lit from behind.
The artist proposes 15 copies each available in the following sizes:
• 90 x 60 cm | 36 x 24”
• 150 x 100 cm | 60 x 40”
Such paper must be mounted on appropriate substrate and/or framed correctly to guarantee the best results.
Replica Edition
• Free shipping worldwide;
• Please allow up to 48 hours before your order is dispatched;
• Delivery time is about two to three working weeks depending on your country;
• Shipped in a sturdy mailing tube for the fine art prints and a protective cardboard box for the aluminum print;
• Fine art prints are sent by the post office from Indonesia while aluminum prints are processed and sent from Europe;
• A confirmation email is sent when the photo is shipped;
• Any custom and duty fees are the responsibility of the customer;
• Replica Edition prints come without white borders;
• Frame not included for the fine art prints
★ Original Edition
• Free shipping worldwide;
• Please allow up to 7 days before your order is dispatched;
• Delivery time is about two working weeks;
• Tracking available;
• Shipped in secure packaging handled by art professionals;
• Sent by UPS, FedEx, or DHL from Europe;
• A confirmation email is sent when the photo is shipped along with a digital Certificate of Authenticity and a handling and framing manual;
• Any custom and duty fees are the responsibility of the customer;
• Original Edition photographs come without white borders;
• Frame not included
