The White Karen: Portraits from Northern Thailand’s Christian Villages


This portrait series highlights the quiet strength and resilience of the White Karen people, captured within the intimate setting of their homes in the Christian villages of northern Thailand. Each image offers a glimpse into the lives of this unique community, where the subjects tell their own stories not through words, but through the everyday details of their existence.

What captivated me most about the White Karen community was the deep connection between the individual and the environment they have shaped. The homes, though simple and humble, are rich with life. They represent more than just shelter, they are places where values are lived, stories are shared, and generations are connected. Every worn surface, every object within these homes, tells a story of resilience and the preservation of cultural heritage in the face of hardship. 
The details in both the homes and the people are inextricably linked. The weathered hands of the elders, the vibrant clothes worn by the women, the wrinkles carved into their faces, all these features, rich with life, reflect the ongoing narratives of time spent, faith, and tradition. In the same way that the homes speak of endurance and memory, these personal details form a portrait of the individuals themselves. The textures of their lives are woven together, creating a visual story of what has been lived, loved, and passed down.

In these intimate spaces, the White Karen people exist not in the shadow of material poverty or hard labour, but in the light of what they have created and sustained.