The name Akha comes from the people’s own Tibeto-Burman language, where A- is a nominal prefix and -kha relates to “middle” or “between.” It can be understood as “people in between” — a fitting description for communities living across the mountainous borderlands of Laos, China, Myanmar, and Thailand.

In the remote highlands of northern Laos, in provinces such as Phongsaly and Luang Namtha, live several sub-groups of the Akha people — including the Akha Pixo, Akha Pouli, Eupa, Mouchi, and Akha Loma. The Akha are part of a wider Sino-Tibetan speaking mountain population who migrated southwards from what is now southern China.

This photographic series celebrates the region’s remarkable cultural diversity: Laos officially recognises 49 ethnic groups, yet there are over 200 distinct sub-groups speaking dozens of languages. The Akha belong to the “Lao Sung” highland peoples, living in some of the most isolated valleys of the country.

The work also reflects the challenges of remote life — where national teachers often speak Lao but little or none of the local dialects — on the verge of a potential massive transformation as the new Boten–Vientiane high-speed railway, linking Laos with China, might bring greater connectivity to this once-secluded region.

Through portraits of the Akha Pixo, Pouli, Eupa, Mouchi and Akha Loma, the series honours the distinct identities of each community, their traditions of dress and craft, and their place within a broader mosaic of ethnic plurality.