About

Jens Uwe Parkitny is a portrait photographer, a travel trade journalist, and a travel industry professional. He's the author of two coffee table books - Bloodfaces, and Marked For Life, which celebrate facial tattoos of Chin people, documented over a decade. Follow him for more such passion projects that will showcase tattooing traditions in the diverse cultural landscape of Myanmar. Jens has also co-created Loikaw Lodge, a lakefront boutique accommodation in Myanmar's Kayah state. Listen to his journey from growing up in Germany, and being a journalist for travel trade magazines, to capturing superb portraits, and building a lodge on a lake! His labor of love features stunning images of various tribes of Chin women who take pride in their facial tattoos. Taking a closer look, you can appreciate the art and the craftsmanship. Having spent years travelling to remote regions of Myanmar, and connecting with these ethnic groups, Jens has a wealth of knowledge about the dying tradition of Chin facial tattooing. Through his work, Jens hopes to preserve such tribal cultural traditions, challenge perceptions of beauty, and also create sustainable livelihoods for ethnic communities. Although authentic meanings of these facial tattoos are not established yet, the intricate patterns seem to relate to right of passage, identity, and spiritual connections. Also, mentioned in this podcast Accor Asia Pacific Agra Alice Cooper Amazon Andre Schnegass Apatani Arakan Hills Bali Bojyoke Aung San Market Borneo Chin Community Based Tourism Delhi DiwaliExpedia Facial tattoo Falam Faridabad Goethe Institut, Yangon Gurugram Hakha Hasselblad Hla Day Ian Hayes Indawgyi Lake Inle Lake Inuit Jaipur Kachin Kayah Kerber Verlag Laytu Chin Lemro river Loikaw Maoris Matu Chin Mergui Archipelago Microsoft Mizoram Mo Naga Moken Moreh Mount Victoria Mrauk-U Mün Museum Fünf Kontinente Myanm/art Naga people Nathalie Johnston National Geographic New Zealand Ngapali Ngwe Saung Pekon lake PolaroidPrabuddha Dasgupta Rhododendron Rih Dil Rio Negro Rolleiflex Seven Sisters Siem Reap Surbung airportSuresh Natarajan Swe Yi Myat Tatmadaw Taunggyi Taunggyi Fire Balloon Festival Three Treasures Tourism Ubtu ChinUncharted Horizons University of Foreign Languages, Yangon Venezuela Virgin Atlantic Web In Travel Y Pole Yanomami Indians Yeoh Siew Hoon Yoyamay Ziro ******* Show cover jingle courtesy of Icons8 Music by Nordgroove from Fugue Episode background tunes courtesy of YouTube Audio LibraryGo on the Goa by Chris Haugen Royale by Josh Lippi & The Overtimers The Old RV by Craig MacArthurAll photographs by Jens Uwe Parkitny, unless otherwise stated