In "Hot Lips on Fire," I capture the enigmatic beauty of a Surma woman from Ethiopia, her lips adorned with the traditional lip plate—a symbol as ancient as it is mysterious. The origins of this practice are shrouded in time, with stories suggesting it once served to protect women from slavers by making them less appealing. Today, the tradition is fading, as young girls increasingly choose to forgo it, yet it remains a powerful marker of cultural identity. In the not-so-distant past, and even now in some communities, the size of the plate determined the dowry, with larger plates demanding more cattle from a prospective groom. The ritual of fitting the plate, which involves the removal of lower teeth, speaks to the lengths one would go to honor tradition. This piece is a reflection on the endurance of cultural practices and the flames of change that threaten to consume them, leaving behind both beauty and a haunting sense of loss.