The faces of Abissa - World Press Photo (2017)

Abissa is a tradition of the N'zema people of Southeast Côte d'Ivoire and Southwestern Ghana. It is an annual 14-day festival located in Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire. It is a time of forgiveness and rebirth, and of celebration through the form of creative traditional wear, dancing, music and spirituality. I wanted to show an insight into a wonderful tradition, the full extent of freedom of expression and creativity in an African culture, as well as highlight the importance of preservation of African culture, as this festival is becoming increasingly more commercial.