Ukranian photographer Aleksey Boiko gets close to the action of a Balinese rite of passage in his series Buffalo Racing, a tradition practiced by local farmers to honour the end of a bountiful harvest. Embodying the god Shiva’s bull Nandi, these animals are considered sacred by the Balinese. Farmers turn into jockeys for the entirety of the tournament, riding on small wooden carts as they whip their bulls around the tracks.
Boiko captures the event in a series of action and close-up shots, tinted in festive tones of oranges, reds and greens that are hazily subdued by the dust kicked about by the animals. Rooted in tradition and belief, buffalo racing is a celebration bringing joy and excitement to these rural areas, a welcome respite from farming.
Based in Lviv, Ukraine, Boiko documents his various travels by shooting enigmatic nature, portrait and landscape imagery. See more of his work via Behance and Instagram.
Images © Aleksey Boiko / with permission