The Kalash: Challenging Tradition and Religious Conformity

• Prize
  Curator Selection
• Photographer
  Maro Kouri, Greece
• Category
  Asia
• Studio
  Maro Kouri
• Website
  http://marokouri.com
• Instagram
  maro_kouri

This portfolio highlights my personal work in the Kalash Valleys of Pakistan, during the Spring Celebration. The Kalash, a small ethnic group believed to trace its origins to Alexander the Great, have lived in isolation, resisting religious and cultural conformity. Despite modern pressures, they maintain their ancient animistic beliefs and traditions. During the "Joshi" festival, Kalash women sing and dance, celebrating their unique culture. The community faces serious challenges, including healthcare issues, limited resources, and environmental threats.

Born in Sparta, Greece, studied photography at the Focus School and photojournalism in the fields of the world, as well as with Konstantinos Manos (Magnum) and Ed Kashi (National Geographic, VII).
A certified 4D Dream Coach and a 3rd year student at psychotherapy training in Humaniversity, she works as a freelancer photojournalist since 1992 focusing in vulnerable groups of people globally, publishing photo-stories in the world's most well-known publications and exhibits her photographs internationally. She is represented by the agency Polaris Images based in NYC.

Awards Among the International Awards She Received:

UNESCO, 2nd Art Mediterranean Forum, Beirut, 2003
Honorary Mention, Union of Photojournalists of Greece, 2010
Photo of the Year – LIFE web magazine: Protests Against Austerity – Athens, 2011
Gold Medal, International Photojournalism Competition RX3: "Sparagmos" – Grief, The Crisis in Greece, 2014
Honorary Mention, International Photojournalism Competition ND Awards: "The Odyssey of Refugees", 2016
Honored by General Staff of the Greek Army, 2019
Honored Person of the 11th PHOTONET Special Day, 2024
As a photo-coach, she leads experiential workshops in inspiring locations across Africa, Asia, and Greece, as well as webinars focused on team effectiveness. Her work facilitates individuals in following their dreams through photography. She also offers voluntary coaching to Syrian women in the Bekaa Valley refugee camp in Lebanon and to women in the Elaionas Women's Prison through the rehabilitation unit KE.THE.A.

Exhibitions (Selectively):

She has participated in numerous social, anti-racist, and ecology festivals worldwide, including:

Barcelona, 1995, 1996 – Visual Marathon, Bic (Spain), 1996, New York, 1999 – Mobile Art Museum, “Velocity”
Thessaloniki, 1997 – Cultural Capital of Europe
Rhodes, 2012 – French Consulate
Paris, 2012 – Gallery Mediatheque
Perpignan, 2012 – Visa Pour L'Image – Opening Ceremony Projection
Paris, 2014 – “Women of the World”, Andre Maraux Cultural Center
Barcelona, 2016 & Athens, 2015 – “Odyssey of Refugees from Aegean to Berlin” – Athens School of Fine Arts, Archaeologists’ Space, Casa Cultural, Lloret de Mar
Hellenic Parliament, Athens, 2016 & Brussels, 2017 – “Survival Routes”
Athens Photo World Festival, 2019
She was a Main Speaker at TEDx University of the Aegean in 2016 and at the 29th Business Leadership Conference in 2018. She has been called "Photographer of the Heart" for her ability to unlock people's hearts and connect the mind with the heart, flooded with gratitude.