The Surma Boys of Afghanistan
Afghan-American visual artist Daniel Malikyar recently shared some great photos of what he calls “a fashion subculture unlike anything I’ve encountered before” that he found in a remote village in the mountains of Afghanistan.
I met a group of boys in a remote village who had developed their own distinct sense of style. They wore colorful eyeliner called surma, painted their fingernails with henna, and dressed in embroidered clothing and handmade hats decorated with flowers and butterfly clips.
This wasn’t something they dressed up for. It was how they dressed every day, each with their own unique interpretation of style and self-expression.
With no access to the internet and limited resources, they had created something entirely their own.
These photos are part of Malikyar’s Afghanistan Book, which is available for sale from his website. He also produced a short video about these boys:
Be sure to check out the rest of his website and Instagram; amazing work.
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