With Kopfjagd, I confront the raw, unfiltered reality of a culture where survival, pride, and identity are measured not in possessions, but in legacy  a legacy marked in bone. The image draws directly from Asmat traditions in Papua, where the number of enemy skulls once signified a warrior’s strength, courage, and readiness to start a family.
 
In stark contrast to the Western world, where status is often expressed through symbols of wealth a house, a car, a yacht  here, strength is shown through what one has endured, and what one has overcome. These skulls are not trophies of cruelty, but relics of initiation, of manhood, of proving oneself in the face of danger.
 
Through this work, I aim to open a dialogue about how different cultures define worth, legacy, and power. Kopfjagd is not about glorifying violence it’s about understanding the deep human need to be seen, to belong, and to carry forward tradition in a world that demands proof of one's place.
 
The skull, once again, becomes more than a symbol of death it becomes a language of honor, of past battles, and of deeply human stories that are rarely told.
 
Nowadays we show our wealth with luxury! In other places, it's the skull that counts!
 
Masterpiece on request
 
Signed
2017
© Alexander Palacios