For the Faces + Masks project, Vavdinoudis travelled to the villages of Monastiraki, Xiropotamos, Petrousa, Pyrgi, Kali Vrysi, Volakas, Pagoneri and Nikisiani between the 6 and 8 of January. Whilst there, he followed the locals on their celebrations, all the while documenting their customs ranging from performers hanging huge cow bells from their waist (which creates a thunderous noise as they dance through the village) to other locals wearing costumes made out of brown fur with an elongated head thus blurring the lines between an animal and a human. In his desire to create a juxtaposition between the masked and unmasked individuals, the photographer captured images of his subjects while wearing their ritualistic costume (in natural light and outdoors) and also without their masks (indoors and in studio conditions). As Vavdinoudis himself points out, by exposing the face behind the mask, it becomes clear how an individual can perform different roles in his or her social environment.

{YatzerTip} Rediscover our previous story about photographer Jimmy Nelson's 'Before They Pass Away' project, where he documents no less than 35 small indigenous tribes from around the world and their rich culture.