Dominic Hall, Universal Language (People and Portrait 2018)

On a small island on the way to Komodo, Indonesia, there lies a fishing village where the local people dress in their finest liveries and don bright make-up for the arrival of tourist boats from nearby Bali. The ladies powder their faces with white make up to make themselves more pale as they see white skin as an attractive quality which they aspire to. The excitement and genuine interest from the locals for anything Western is intoxicating and my friends and I spent hours chatting with the locals, sharing food and drink and playing with the children. It is a island unspoilt by hotels and resorts and I think this adds to the authentic friendliness of the local people. They are not looking to sell or gain anything but simply to share the universal language of smiles and laughter.

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