Aliens in Residence releases a new book by Luke Oppenheimer, OTTUK.
In the winter of 2021, Luke Oppenheimer traveled to the Tien Shan mountains of central Kyrgyzstan for what was meant to be a one-month assignment on wolves preying on livestock in Ottuk, a remote village of shepherds. Each year, wolves kill dozens of horses and countless sheep, forcing the men of the village into the surrounding mountains during the harshest months to hunt and protect their herds. What began as a short trip soon grew into a much larger story.
There is a saying in Kyrgyzstan: “It only takes one frost”—meaning a single night can wipe out an entire family’s livelihood. In valleys littered with frozen sheep, life is precarious, shaped by the elements, injuries, illness, and long-standing feuds. The villagers’ existence is stripped to essentials: hospitality, loyalty, filial duty, and the unyielding weight of one’s word. What started as a month-long trip grew into a four-year project, as Oppenheimer was gradually accepted into the community and adopted by one of its families. His body of work, Ottuk, is an intimate portrait of the villagers, their ancient way of life, and the landscape that has shaped them.
Luke Oppenheimer is a writer and documentary photographer from rural Oklahoma with a background in agroforestry and sustainable farming. After earning a degree in Latin American History from the University of Missouri–Kansas City, he spent several years living and working across South America before producing his first photographic project along the Brazil– Paraguay border. Since studying at the International Center of Photography in New York, he has worked extensively throughout Latin America, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, developing long-term collaborations with Modern Huntsman magazine and contributing to publications and organizations including the Amazon Aid Foundation and Eurasianet. His work explores the relationships between rural communities, the landscapes they inhabit, and the wildlife alongside which they live.
Luke Oppenheimer : OTTUK
Published by Aliens in Residence
45 color photographs
Hardcover Section sewn
9.2” × 11.5” (23.3 cm x 29.2 cm)
90 pages
ISBN: 979-8-9857628-22
$65.00 | €55.00 | £50
www.aliensinresidence.co
