There is an island in Indonesia, a country where a large part of the population has black hair and dark eyes, and in that place is a tribe in which several of its members stand out for their incredible blue eyes with a particularly deep brilliance due to a rare genetic condition.
The unique characteristics have been captured in a set of snapshots published by photographer Korchnoi Pasaribu on his Instagram account.
Pasaribu was visiting the island of Buton on September 17 and was able to photograph the faces of some inhabitants in their natural habitat with their traditional clothing. He focused mainly on their stunning blue eyes that stand out against the color of their skin.
Waardenburg syndrome is an inherited mutation that causes pigmentation changes, is more common among the natives of Buton Island.
Although it affects approximately one person in 42,000 globally, it is more common in this tribe because many of its members are family.
From infancy to adults, men and women suffer from this genetic disorder. In some cases, only one eye is affected, their eyes may be of different colors, one dark and one light.
In addition, Waardenburg syndrome produces changes in the pigmentation of the eyes, hair, and skin. Also, it is often recognized due to the fact that the subject develops a loss of hearing.
According to Pasaribu, “Blue eyes are unique and beautiful,” as well as being his inspiration. He is actually a geologist by profession and his hobby is documenting life in rural Indonesia, especially its tribes and culture.
