Why do the Surma people utilize lip plates? The Surma people, particularly the Suri sub-tribe, are well-known for their use of lip plates as a type of body decorations. Lip plating, also known as lip stretching, is the process of inserting increasingly bigger clay or wooden plates into the lower lip. This practice is traditionally regarded as a rite of passage in Suri culture and is significant for various reasons: Lip plates have cultural significance in the Suri culture as a symbol of beauty a

252K views · 1.1K reactions | Surma / Suri tribe, Omo Valley...

518K views · 1.2K reactions | Surma / Suri tribe, Omo Valley...

The Surma, also known as the Suri, are an ethnic group living in southwestern Ethiopia, near the Omo River Valley. One of their most striking cultural expressions is body painting, which has profound aesthetic, social, and spiritual significance.Surma paintings are made with clay, chalk, charcoal, and natural pigments mixed with water or animal fat. They are applied directly to the skin with fingers, branches, or feathers, creating abstract designs, lines, dots, and geometric figures. #inspirati