Childhood in Africa

At six months old, I crossed the Sahara Desert for the first time, lying in a baby basket secured to the back seat of my parents’ Land Cruiser. From those earliest moments forward, I enjoyed the most unconventional lifestyle imaginable, thanks to my parents Aubine and Michael Kirtley who were photo-journalists for National Geographic and GEO magazines at the time. My older brother Tercelin and I were “home schooled” while floating down the Niger River, trekking in African rain forests, and camping throughout the vast reaches of the Sahel. My fondest memories are of playing with my “best friend” Julia, a baby gorilla in Gambia’s Abuko Nature Reserve.

Abandoning the Baby Camel

Abandoning the Baby Camel

ABANDONING THE BABY CAMEL: In this photo, I am riding my camel with my Touareg father, Ahoudan, as we trek ...
Julia the Gorilla, My Best Friend

Julia the Gorilla, My Best Friend

JULIA THE GORILLA, MY BEST FRIEND: In this photo, I am playing with Julia the Gorilla, and my brother, Tercelin.  ...
The Wrestler

The Wrestler

THE WRESTLER:  In this photo, my brother Tercelin and I stand in awe in frount of a Senegalese wrestler before ...
The Escorts

The Escorts

In this photo, I am with my big brother Tercelin, surrounded by mask escorts of the Guere tribe in the ...
Kidnapped!

Kidnapped!

KIDNAPPED!  This is me as a little girl in the Ivory Coast, kidnapped by the “mask of comedy” of the ...