"Tribal Phallocrypt”

In traditional Akan African cultures, akuaa’ba are highly sought-after, hand-carved wooden fertility dolls.

However, in a remote tribal enclave neighboring the mighty mythical nation of Wakanda, a virile renegade teenage warrior seized the name“Akuaa’ba" during a moment of self-indulgence. In his culture, the human form serves as a highly honored walking canvas of artistic expression. Using white ash and blackened colorants accentuated by deep red pigments from dried local berries, he then proudly adorned his tautly-flexed nude torso with fresh body paint plus a few feathers, an animal tooth necklace, and a festively decorated tribal penis gourd installed in a last-minute celebratory gesture of modesty. These indigenous penile sheaths are also known as “koteka” in the remote regions of the Baliem Valley in Papua, Indonesia, where I acquired this particularly lengthy, yet authentic, specimen.

Almost invisible strings hold such gourds erect. Look closely. One string encircles the upper abdomen and is tied to the remote tip of the gourd. Though not rendered discernible in this photographic rendition, the other string at the bottom is cinched tightly around exposed testicles in a locally accepted visual display of machismo.

During a seizure of post-production Photoshop whim, I crafted a background of digitally added coffee-stained streaks concentrically radiating around points of interest.

Australian body-builder, the very brave: Kim Tien Bangkok body painter extraordinaire: Christian Bilou Poggetti Photographed in my Bangkok studio.