The Turkana Basin in northern Kenya is one of the world’s most significant landscapes for understanding human evolution. In 2025, I joined an interdisciplinary team to document fieldwork in this region. While filming the expedition, I unexpectedly discovered a rare hominin fossil, an encounter that became the catalyst for my thesis. This project explores how the landscape can be observed, interpreted, and represented through overlapping perspectives, from scientific readings of the land to cultural and lived experiences..
Turkana: A Visual Excavation
Anjali Biju
Concept wall
A conceptual wall mapping the environmental, cultural, and scientific narratives of the Turkana Basin.
Zine: The Other Side of the Rock
A designer’s field notes from the Turkana Basin
A visual journey
A film capturing fieldwork, landscapes, and lived experiences
Hominin tooth replica, Uncovering narratives, Rock sample
A set of closeups from the concept wall
Concept Wall
A conceptual wall mapping the environmental, cultural, and scientific narratives of the Turkana Basin.
Turkana kitchen tools
Replicas of the kitchen tools used by the people of Turkana - churner, ugali spoon, rolling pin
Field card scale
A tool used by researchers on the field to document specimens
Material interaction
Image interacting with the rope grid
Exhibition under review
An overview of the spreads