Pieter Hugo South African, b. 1976

Part of The Hyena & Other Men series, Mallam Galadima Ahmadu with Jamis explores the complex dynamics of power, control, and mutual reliance between his subjects. Hugo’s art and work within this series is startling, direct, unflinching, unjudgmental and memorable. Since this is a subject matter that almost no one has had experience with, it immediately begs the question – how does the viewer perceive this? Hugo traveled to this region in Nigeria and spent time with the people and their culture - capturing the long-standing relationships they have with the hyenas, baboons and snakes.

Hyenas cannot be fully subjugated, they are unable to be domesticated, but they cannot be returned to the wild. There is a mystique to who can handle the hyenas. The hyenas are simply very exotic to most other cultures and fantastical in their attributes. The handlers and their hyenas are dependent on each other. The owners rely on the Hyenas for their living which is made by creating a public performance with them. To most cultures these images seem aggressive and inhumane. And yet, it makes the viewer, if they are fair in their assessments, question if we are any better in our daily practices of caging, slaughtering and asking animals to perform at marinas, circuses and races.

In this image Mallam Galadima Ahmadu is at ease with the hyena who is surprisingly large and clearly powerful. He has pulled open the mouth to display the teeth and looks right at Hugo with languor and little expression. Many of these images have a dusty and soft atmospheric quality to them that is reflective of the pervasive light there. The composition is further accentuated by the diagonally leaning tree.