The dazzling Congo Tales series gives ancient folklore a modern-day spin. Odzala-Kokoua National Park, in the heart of the Congo Basin, is an ecological wonderland that is home to untold numbers of rare animals as well as people who have lives vastly different from much of the rest of the world. In this stunning photographic series, Pieter Henket (b. 1979, The Netherlands, lives and works in New York) presents images of the children of Odzala-Kokoua telling the oral history of the Congo in enchanting and creative ways. Shot over the course of one month, Henket documented the children of this remote region as they designed, planned, created costumes for, and acted out a series of myths—about their tribes, their landscape, and the animals and plants that they live among.

Filled with vibrant images that highlight the area’s magnificent flora and fauna, this photographic project offers an exciting opportunity for people from different corners of the world to learn about nature and the environment. It delivers an optimistic message about trust, cooperation, and conservation for the next generation of policy makers.

‘Stunning new visual book tells stories of the Congo and its people through lush and imaginative photography’
– The New York Times