MARK SCHEFLEN ART & PHOTOGRAPHY
Papyrus Gonolek, Gashora Swamp, Rwanda
Papyrus Gonolek, Gashora Swamp, Rwanda
About Mark
Mark Scheflen is a photographer, visual artist, and educator whose work bridges the beauty of the natural world with the urgent need to protect it. His images and artworks are not only records of what he observes, but invitations to pay attention—and to act.
Raised on a working farm amid fields and forests, Scheflen developed an early awareness of nature’s fragility through daily, hands-on experience. Cultivating crops, tending animals, and working the soil instilled a deep respect for the rhythms of the land and the delicate balance between human stewardship and natural systems. These early lessons shaped both his worldview and his creative practice.
What began as quiet hikes, birdwatching, and time spent in the fields evolved into a lifelong commitment to documenting the natural world—its richness, its transformations, and its vulnerabilities. His work reflects an enduring belief that caring for the land is both a responsibility and an act of love, one that connects observation, cultivation, and conservation.
In 1985, I traveled to Kenya and lived with a local family who welcomed me into their community. On my first safaris, I encountered both the wonder and the vulnerability of wild places. With my camera, I began capturing fleeting moments of wildlife and landscape—elephants emerging from dawn mist, hornbills lifting from acacia trees, rivers tracing the edge of the savanna. These experiences ignited a lifelong photographic practice that later expanded into original artwork, including masks inspired by migratory birds, illuminated lightboxes, and decades of landscapes and portraits.
After returning to the United States, I exhibited my photography in galleries and public spaces, produced educational videos, and continued to develop my creative practice. Over time, I came to understand that art could function as a bridge—a way to connect people, communities, and cultures through shared images and stories.
This understanding led to the founding of Kiboko Projects, which I co-founded with Jill Raufman. Jill’s background in public health and education helped shape the organization’s mission and approach, bringing insight into how art and storytelling can intersect with global health, community building, and environmental education. Together, we developed collaborative projects using photography, video, and participatory art to foster dialogue among schools, universities, and community groups across continents.
Today, Kiboko Projects continues to grow as a platform where art, education, and conservation converge. My photography, artwork, and videos are complemented by Jill’s expertise in public health and cross-cultural engagement. Together, our work moves beyond documentation—inviting people to look more closely, care more deeply, and act on behalf of the natural world.
Mark’s Portfolio
Beyond photography, Mark’s creative practice spans decades and disciplines, including handmade masks, illuminated lightboxes, fine art landscapes, and portraiture. These works—exhibited nationally and now gathered on his website—are informed by a long-standing engagement with anthropology, social science, and cultural study. His practice explores how human belief systems, traditions, and environments shape one another, and how visual art can serve as a tool for observation, inquiry, and connection.
The portfolio presented here brings together these intersecting threads: African and North American bird and wildlife photography, evocative landscapes, experimental lightboxes, and masks rooted in cultural and environmental storytelling. Drawing from ethnographic approaches and field-based research, Mark’s work reflects a deep respect for place, community, and lived experience.
Mark’s art and photography are not simply images or objects; they are invitations to look closely, to reflect, and to respond. Through his lens and creative vision, he continues to document the relationships between people, culture, and the natural world, telling the story of a changing planet with the hope of inspiring others to imagine—and protect—a more connected and sustainable future.
