Ataui-Deng Hopkins, also known as Ataui Deng (born 3 November 1991) is a Sudanese American model who began her fashion career at the age of 17 in 2008. As the niece of

Alek Wek Alek Wek (born 16 April 1977) is a South Sudanese South Sudan is home to around 60 indigenous ethnic groups and 80 linguistic partitions among a population of around million. Historically, most ethnic groups were lacking in formal Wester ...

, she began her career linked to her more famous aunt though her youth quickly became the aspect that the media focused on. She is from the

Dinka people The Dinka people ( din, Jiɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ) are a Nilotic ethnic group native to South Sudan with a sizable diaspora population abroad. The Dinka mostly live along the Nile, from Jonglei to Renk, in the region of Bahr el Ghazal, Upper Nile (two out of ...

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...

, and left for

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, Texas in 2004, just one year before the

Second Sudanese Civil War The Second Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1983 to 2005 between the central Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. It was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originate ...

came to an end. She currently lives in New York City.

Early life

Deng was born in

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...

in the Sudan. She escaped the Second Sudanese Civil War with her parents and immigrated to San Antonio, Texas.

Career

She arrived in San Antonio at age 12, four years later she signed to Trump modelling agency and moved to New York. She debuted as a runway model in September 2008 for the spring Jeremy Laing, Kai Kuhne, L’Wren Scott, Proenza Schouler, and Zac Posen shows in New York. She was filmed by Jeremy Kost backstage at the Zac Posen show for New York magazine. She skipped the fashion weeks in Europe in 2008 in order to finish high school in Texas. She appeared in Teen Vogue several times. At age eighteen she became well known for having fallen on the runway for Z Spoke by Zac Posen.

Image

Ataui Deng forms part of a famous triumvirate of ethnic Dinka models, the other two are her aunt Alek Wek and her best friend Ajak Deng.

Personal life

Deng is best friends with Australian Sudanese model

Ajak Deng Ajak Deng (born 7 December 1989) is a South Sudanese-Australian model. Early life Deng was born in what is now known as South Sudan. Her family became refugees in Kenya before moving to Melbourne, Australia in 2005 due to the civil war in South ...

who has sometimes mistakenly been described as her sister. She is niece to the runway model

. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. She was reported missing on 8 August 2014. On August 18, 2014, she was found in a New York hospital after being reported missing for 10 days.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Deng, Ataui 1991 births Living people Female models from Texas American people of South Sudanese descent Dinka people South Sudanese female models 21st-century American women