Trevor Cole’s Transcendence focuses on the lives of pastoral communities in the Ilemi Triangle, a region covering Ethiopia, South Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda.

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The series documents cultures deeply connected to land, livestock, and tradition, while facing increasing influences from globalisation, religion, and commercial development. Cole’s photographs highlight the resilience of these communities amid environmental challenges like recurring droughts and floods. The work provides a timely look at how these communities maintain cultural continuity, adapt, and define their identity in a rapidly evolving landscape.

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Trevor Cole: The people of the Ilemi triangle comprise several tribal groups who live in harmony with their environments in the Omo valley of Ethiopia, Central and Eastern Equatoria in South Sudan, Northern Kenya, and Uganda. Additionally, there is the impact of ‘westernisation’, the spread of the ubiquitous Chinese-made football shirts, agribusiness, and the spread of religion from missionaries.

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Despite this clash of cultures, tribal groups remain resistant, but modifications to their nomadic or transhumance lifestyles are unavoidable. These images reflect their dependence on pastoralism and traditions, but over the last two decades, droughts have become more frequent, and the recurrence interval between flood events has shortened.

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Despite this clash of cultures, tribal groups remain resistant, but modifications to their nomadic or transhumance lifestyles are unavoidable.

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About

Trevor Cole is an international travel photographer and photo tour leader based in Donegal, Ireland. Born in Derry, he went on to teach geography at international schools in Singapore, Togo, Italy, Ethiopia and Brazil, while travelling extensively with his camera. This naturally brought together two of his lifelong passions, establishing him as a geographer-photographer. His photography focuses predominantly on culture and landscapes, creating images that reflect a spatial and temporal journey through life, while highlighting the need to live in a more sustainable world.

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