Pieter Hugo travelled twice to Nigeria (in 2005 and 2007) to follow a legendary group of itinerant street artists known as the Hyena Men. These men earn their money by performing on the streets with hyenas, pythons and baboons, and by selling traditional medicines.
In his monumental portraits Hugo manages to capture the complex interaction between the dressers and their animals. His photos present a remarkable picture of the tension between domination and submission, between nature and culture, and between traditional and modern. The paradoxical relationship of the performers with their animals, ranging from loving to cruel and aggressive, is meticulously documented by Hugo.