Luke Dray

The Somba people, from northwestern Benin and northern Togo, are known for their body scarring rituals, starting at around two years old. These scars are a form of permanent identification mark, which identify a person as belonging to a particular tribe. Additional marks are added at puberty, marriage, post-child birth and other life events as a form of visible communication between people. Kossokouangou, north western Benin

The Somba people, from northwestern Benin and northern Togo, are known for their body scarring rituals, starting at around two years old. These scars are a form of permanent identification mark, which identify a person as belonging to a particular tribe. Additional marks are added at puberty, marriage, post-child birth and other life events as a form of visible communication between people. Kossokouangou, north western Benin

The Somba people, from northwestern Benin and northern Togo, are known for their body scarring rituals, starting at around two years old. These scars are a form of permanent identification mark, which identify a person as belonging to a particular tribe. Additional marks are added at puberty, marriage, post-child birth and other life events as a form of visible communication between people. Kossokouangou, north western Benin

Fishermen in the costal visage of Kotu, The Gambia, pull in their fishing net in hope of catching Barracuda for tourists. 

Fishermen in the costal visage of Kotu, The Gambia, pull in their fishing net in hope of catching Barracuda for tourists. 

A young boy rests from playing football in Guiapleu, western Cote d'ivoire. Guiapleu is a tiny village made up of many nationalities and religions. There are residents that are Ivorian, Guinean, Liberian, Burkinabe and Malian many of which have fled persecution or war. There is both a Catholic and Protestant church as well as a Mosque.

A young girl in Guiapleu, western Cote d'ivoire. Guiapleu is a tiny village made up of many nationalities and religions. There are residents that are Ivorian, Guinean, Liberian, Burkinabe and Malian many of which have fled persecution or war. There is both a Catholic and Protestant church as well as a Mosque.

A worker in a Korhogo cloth factory, Korhogo northern Côte d'Ivoire. Korhogo cloth is fabric made by the Senufo people by hand painting designs on hand woven and hand spun cotton material.

A worker in a Korhogo cloth factory, Korhogo northern Côte d'Ivoire. Korhogo cloth is fabric made by the Senufo people by hand painting designs on hand woven and hand spun cotton material.

A young boy in Guiapleu, western Cote d'ivoire. Guiapleu is a tiny village made up of many nationalities and religions. There are residents that are Ivorian, Guinean, Liberian, Burkinabe and Malian many of which have fled persecution or war. There is both a Catholic and Protestant church as well as a Mosque.

A young resident of Ganvie, in lake Nokoué, paddles her boat through the stilt village. Ganvie was formed around 1700AD when the Fon tribe was hunting and selling the Tofinu people to the Portuguese as part of the slave trade. The Tofinu people took to the lake to avoid Fon warriors, whose religious practice prevented them from advancing on anybody who dwells on water. Southern Benin.

A resident of Ganvie, southern Benin, paddles her boat to the market.

Kabbe, a local Gambian farmer from the town of Kotu, washes his sheep with a fishing net in the Atlantic Ocean.

Kojo hold his catch on the bank of the Akosombo Dam, southern Ghana. In Ghana, children are often given a "day name" which corresponds to the day in the week they were born. Furthermore these day names also have meanings concerning the soul and character of the person. For example, Kojo means Monday Born and peace in the local Akan language.

In Togo, Batik paintings were originally imported by Dutch merchants from Indonesia. The paste is made from cassava starch instead of copper which is used in Indonesia. Agbo Kosi (pictured) uses this local west African technique then sells his artwork to tourists and private collectors. Kouma Konda, Togo.

Momodou, a local fisherman, pulls in his catch of Mullet which he hopes to sell to local to restaurants in the tourist town of Kotu, The Gambia.

A boy pauses for a pictures whilst riding his bike in central Togo.

A young group of boys play football in Tendaba, central Gambia.

Residents of a small village near Ouidah, southern Benin, collect water in buckets during a torrential downpour. September 2017.

Residents of a small village near Ouidah, southern Benin, collect water in buckets during a torrential downpour. September 2017.

man goes to prayer at the Grande Mosquée de Touba, northern Senegal. The mosque is the largest building in the city of Touba and one of the largest mosques in Africa, with a capacity of 7,000.

Salasi cleans his horses in the Atlantic Ocean, he works on tourist beaches trying to flog horse rides to tourists in the town of Kotu, The Gambia.

A young girl in Kouma Konda, Togo.

A spear fisherman on the Akosombo Dam, southern Ghana.

A teenage girl sells peanuts as a petrol station in northern Côte d’Ivoire (near the Guinea border).

Kouassi, age 15, works at a small weaving factory in Gbomi Kondeyaokro, central Côte d'Ivoire. He is an Akan, famous for their Kente cloth (known as nwentom in Akan) which a type of silk and cotton fabric made of interwoven cloth strips.

Lnor, age 12, works at a small weaving factory in Gbomi Kondeyaokro, central Côte d'Ivoire. He is an Akan, famous for their Kente cloth (known as nwentom in Akan) which a type of silk and cotton fabric made of interwoven cloth strips.

A goat is butchered for a communal dinner in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Residents of a small village near Ouidah, southern Benin, take part in a traditional voodoo ceremony. September 2017.

Residents of a small village near Ouidah, southern Benin, take part in a traditional voodoo ceremony. September 2017.