A collective photography exhibition titled The Other Resurrection by Rawiya Collective opened on Wednesday, May 16th at the Contemporary Art Platform (CAP), Kuwait.

In the current exhibition, 40 outstanding images have been selected from the works of six distinguished female photographers, each with her own process, technique and source of inspiration.

The featured photographers are: Laura Boushnak (Palestine), Myriam Abdelaziz (Egypt), Tamara Abdul Hadi (Iraq), Taniya Habjouqa (Jordan), Dalia Khamissy (Lebanon) and Newsha Tavakolian (Iran).

‘Rawiya’ is an Arabic word, which when translated means, “She who tells a story”.  The collective comprises of a group of six female photographers from across the Middle East and made its official debut at the Format Festival in Derby, U.K, in March 2011.

Speaking through images, when words fail, these photographers from the Middle East attempt the return to a past that no longer exists and the departure into a future that remains unknown.

In their very own words, “They present an insider’s view of a region in flux, balancing its contradictions while reflecting on social and political issues and stereotypes.”

With an artist’s eye, they eloquently capture their visual stories that offer representations against and beyond the stereotypes. The images reflect their diverse perceptions as they successfully explore issues of identity crises, sexual awakening, the literacy crisis and the unconventional graffiti and street art in Egypt and provide insight on the struggles, triumphs, and aspirations.

These women are not only truly remarkable photographers, but their dedication to chronicle the known and the unknown, the forgotten and the oblivious, is commendable.

Laura Boushnak is a Palestinian photographer born in Kuwait. Her work ranges from conflict photography to experimental storytelling. Boushnak firmly believes that women can only be empowered by literacy. She is noted for her comprehensive and impassioned series, I Read, I Write, which focuses on women in Egypt, a country the UN ranks as one of the ten worst in the world in terms of illiteracy. “In this series of portraits, women attending literacy classes in Cairo were invited to participate in the project by writing their own words on prints of the photographs and tell their own stories.”

"I Read, I Write" photo series by Laura Boushnak

“Their words explore the barriers that have blocked their aspirations, such as poverty, gender-related disadvantages, early marriage and cultural constraints,” says Boushnak, “Many women in the Arab world are denied education and thus deprived of the opportunity to grow and reach their full potential, which impedes the region’s progress,” she states.

Boushnak’s work has been published in the New York Times, The Guardian, The National Geographic and Le Monde.

As a writer and photographer, Tanya Habjouqa utilizes anthropology as her guide to storytelling in her journey through lens. She was born in Jordan and educated in the US, receiving her masters in Global Media and Middle East Politics from the University of London, The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

Habjouqa is known for gaining unique access to sensitive gender, social and human rights stories in the Middle East. To see a Habjouqa image is to peel timeless metaphors of life, love, loss and a strong will to survive the odds.

"Women of Gaza" by Tanya Habjouqa. Young women exercise in gym, part of the women's associations with strong religious connections becoming increasingly predominant across Gaza.

Recently, she began documenting the everyday lives of Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip. In her images, Habjouqa expresses an enduring message of hope in the face of adversity. “As a storyteller, I am drawn to the contradictions prevalent within the diversity of Middle Eastern culture(s).” Her series Women of Gaza is an eye catching commentary on a different side of Gaza.

“Despite the devastation, a community spirit and elegance prevails. Life continues, and so do the traditions and self-respect—a resistance to letting suffering be the standard definition. Women are continuing to care for their families, strive for education, and pursue careers against the odds.”

Iranian photographer Newsha Tavakolian began working at the tender age of 16 for a number of reformist dailies, all since banned.  By the time she hit 21, she was working internationally, covering wars, natural disasters and social documentary stories in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Yemen. Women’s issues are a predominant theme of Newsha’s work.

Photograph by Newsha Tavakolian

The complex social and political issues in the Middle East are deftly captured by Lebanese Dalia Khamissy. She dwells especially on the aftermath of wars and their effect on people. Khamissy’s work evokes stillness and solitude. “I usually work on stories that touch me directly or indirectly and they are mostly people I relate to who are suffering and I wonder why people have to endure that,” says Khamissy.

While elaborating further, she says, “I feel a bit of inner anger, questions and frustrations and then comes the need to investigate those stories and try to understand. By listening to my subjects telling their stories, I make them comfortable and wanting to share more and this is the first step to building trust.”

“I share a lot of respect for people who open their spaces and accept me in to tell their stories and respecting people is the main key,” she says, adding further,” I always think that the simplest frame can be the most interesting one. I think the subject I am photographing is already very interesting and I do not need to make special efforts to make a very interesting frame. It is there in front of me, I just have to grab the camera and frame what my eyes see,” she adds.

"Missing" by Dalia Khamissy

Through images brimming with emotion, Khamissy in her Missing series explores “how those left behind approach the task of grieving and remembrance when there are no bodies to mourn, nor even verification of a death to which they could appeal to for closure.” The faces in the photographs, invite quiet contemplation of the human tragedy.

On the other hand, a portrait series titled Picture an Arab Man is another remarkable work by Iraqi Canadian photojournalist Tamara Abdul Hadi.

“The conceptual aim of this portrait series is two-fold: trying to uncover and break the stereotypes placed upon the Arab male, and providing an alternative visual representation of that identity. Secondly, it is a celebration of their sensual beauty, an unexplored aspect of the identity of the contemporary Arab man, on the cusp of change in a society that reveres an outdated form of hyper-masculinity,” explains Abdul Hadi.

"Picture an Arab Man" series by Tamara Abdul Hadi

“Through Picture an Arab Man; I strive to do what I can to redefine the image of the Arab man for an audience so accustomed to one-dimensional stereotypes… Most importantly, I hope to properly represent my subjects as diverse and candid men whose only thing in common is their rich Middle Eastern heritage,” she stresses.

“No matter who I am photographing, I try my best to make sure that they feel comfortable, whether they are in their own surroundings or not. Respect is the key factor, and staying true to the subject you are documenting is just as important,” she adds.

Abdul Hadi began her first job working as a photographer and photo editor at Reuters News Agency and later for the New York Times, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times. She has also initiated and taught photography workshops in Lebanon and Palestine, with the goal of giving empowerment to women and children through the creative arts.

Myriam Abdelaziz is a French photographer of Egyptian origins and was born in Cairo. A 2006 graduate of the International Centre of Photography, New York, Abdelaziz takes delight in telling stories through documentaries and portraitures, set in the Middle East and Africa. Her photographic series Writing on the Walls: Transition tugs at your heart.

"Writing on the Walls: Transition" by Myriam Abdelaziz. Photograph titled 'The Martyr'. During the transition government that started on Feb. 11th 2011 in Egypt, when President Moubarak stepped down, Grafitis denouncing the actions of the Army in power started spreading all over the city. Soon anti-Revolutionaries joined by trying to express their own opinon on top of the existing grafitis.

Abdelaziz’s advice to our readers regarding photography is to “look at the images with your heart not with your eyes. It is about a genuine connection, the camera is just here to capture an instant where the subject is himself,” she notes.

“It is inspiring and motivating that some of the galleries based in Europe as well as US that have extended a hand to us are keen to bring something fresh and different from the region. One gallery tied to a university in Georgia (USA) specifically said they saw bringing our work as an educational opportunity for students to gain new insight into Middle East,” Habjouqa adds.

“We want to profile not only our social issues with nuance but to also celebrate the humor and tradition of our region often ignored,” reiterates Habjouqa.

Their approaches to the untold stories elicit mixed feelings of nostalgia and pain. “Through Rawiya we want to tell the stories of our societies that were not being told, because they were not in ‘the hot news’, although they are as important, if not more important, than the rest,” explains Khamissy.

“I think that photographers tend to forget that the most important is the subject and his story and not the photographer and his glory. Once that is remembered, the photographs would really come out very genuine,” stresses Khamissy.

As for the future, they add in unison, Rawiya will keep sharing stories from this region and beyond.

“We would like to become one of the reference points in the region- for photographers, journalists, artists, and people with an interest in Middle East in general… To be known for pushing social boundaries and bringing forth a different perspective often missing from Middle Eastern narratives.” and that indeed sums up the essence of Rawiya Collective.

The exhibition The Other Resurrection runs from May 16 through May 30 at Contemporary Art Platform, Kuwait.

CAP is located in Shuwaikh.  Block 2, St 28. 2nd Floor, Life Center building, Kuwait. Opening Hours: 10 am – 8pm (Sunday – Thursday).

For more information about CAP, visit www.capkuwait.com, Tel: (+965) 24925636

– Deepa Pant

Images courtesy of Rawiya Collective

جزر المالديف هي جزر صغيرة تقع في قارة آسيا في المحيط الهندي، وهي بلاد مسلمة حيث أن معظم سكانها مسلمون، ويمر عليها خط الاستواء جنوباً، وكان يسميها العرب قديماً ذيبة المَهَل أو محل ديب ويُرجح أنه قد تم تحريفه وأصبح ينطق مالديف، كما يبلغ عدد سكان جزر المالديف 309 ألف نسمة، وعاصمة جزر المالديف هي مدينة اسمها “ماليه” وهي ايضاً الميناء الرئيسي وهي فريدة وجذابة وتشبه المدن الكبيرة لما تتميز به من نظافة وترتيب ونظام، تكثر بها المساجد، والأسواق، تتخللها شوارع صغيرة متشابكة ويبلغ طولها كيلومتران وعرضها كيلومتر، وحدودها مكتظة بالبنايات، وعدد السكان بها حوالي 65,000 لكن مع العمّال الأجانب والسياح، يصل تعدادها إلى 100,000 شخص.

تتميز البحيرات في جزر المالديف باللون الأزرق اللامع والشعب المرجانية المدهشة والحياة البحرية الوفيرة، وبالرغم من أن القوانين المحلية الصارمة التي تمنع صيد السمك والاستغلال التجاري، أبقت البيئة البحرية على حالتها الطبيعية إلا أنه في 1998 بدأت الشعب المرجانية التأثر بالنين، فما هو النين؟

هو ارتفاع في درجة حرارة البحر، استمر هذا الارتفاع الحراري لمدة أسبوعين، مما أدى إلى تغطية الطحالب للشعب المرجانية وتوقف نموها وضياع لونها الخلاب وهذه الطحالب يمكن أن تكون مدمرة، إلا أن معظم الشعب المرجانية لم تتأثر بشدّة، ولم تتأثر أيّ حياة بحرية أخرى بهذه الطحالب، ويتوقع علماء الأحياء البحرية ومراقبوا الشعب المرجانية أن تكون عملية النمو دورية ويراقبون نمو الشعب المرجانية الجديدة بالاهتمام الشديد، وإلى الآن ما زالت الشعب المرجانية عالماً عجيباً يجذب الغطاسين والمشاهدين برغم فقدانه لبعض الوانه بشكل مؤقت.

وعلى الرغم مِن العزلةُ الجغرافية، المالديف سهلة الوصول اليها، تَعْرض العديد من شركاتِ الطيران جدولاً منتظماً للرحلات وتؤجر طائرات من آسيا، أوروبا، الشرق الأوسط، وجنوب أفريقيا. مطار “ماليه” الدولي يقع على جزيرة مستقلة، طولها كيلومتر فقط، إنّ الجزيرةَ خاصة لإستعمالات المطار، وتبعد عن العاصمة بمسافة عشر دقائق بزورق، كما أن في المالديف صيف لا نهاية له، بالرغم من موسم دافئ على مدار السَنَة إلا أن هناك إختلافات طفيفة في درجةِ الحرارة أثناء فترات زمنية معينةِ محكومة بالرياح الموسمية من نوفمبر “تشرين” الثاني إلى أبريل “نيسانِ” جاف في الغالب بالريحِ القليل جداً، بينما الرياح الموسمية الجنوبية الغربية مِن مايو إلى أكتوبر “تشرين الأولِ” تَجلب بعض المطر ودرجةَ الحرارة تتفاوت بقدر ضئيل. درجة الحرارة المتوسطة اليومية تتراوح بين 30.4 – 25.4 درجةِ مئوية على مدار السنة. ومتوسط هطول المطرَ السنوي تحت 2 مليمتر، ومعظم السياح يأتون إلى المالديف في رحلات منظمة لزيارة أحد المنتجعات التي يزيد عددها على 70 منتجعاً معظمها في الجزر المرجانية الثلاث القريبة للعاصمة وهي جزيرة مارلاي الشمالية وجزيرة مارلاي الجنوبية وجزيرة آري.

وهناك بضعة منتجعات أخرى في الجزر المرجانية المجاورة، وتشكل السياحة في المالديف القطاع الأكبر من نشاط أهل المنطقة الاقتصادي والاجتماعي ولذلك أقيمت أعداد كبيرة من المنتجعات والفنادق والمشاريع السياحية على شواطئ تلك الجزر الجذابة حيث تعتبر شواطئ جزر المالديف من أجمل الشواطئ في العالم للعديد من الأسباب من أبرزها: صفاء المياه وتنوع الأسماك وكثرة الجزر في هذه الجمهورية التي يصل عددها إلى المئات.

وتشتهر فنادق المالديف بكثرة المطاعم التي تكون متوافرة للسائح سواء أكانت لبنانية أم إيطالية أم هندية أم سعودية لإرضاء جميع أذواق السائحين الذين قصدوا الماديف للراحة والاستجمام، ولعل أبرز الأمور التي تشد السائح عند وصولة إلى المالديف طريقة التنقل بين جزيرة وأخرى أو بين مطار وفندق أو بين فندق ومجمع تجاري حيث يجد جميع هذه التنقلات عن طريق اللنشات “مراكب صغيرة بمحرك” المتوافرة في كل جانب من جوانب شواطئ الجزر.

كما ان من اهم المدن في جزر المالديف هي سيو “جزيرة ادو المرجانية” وهي ثاني مدن المالديف، ويمثل مصيفها أفضل مكان ينطلق منه السياح لزيارة بقية جزر المالديف وسكان الجزيرة يسمون «أدو» وهم مستقلون جداً، ويتكلّمون لغة مختلفة عن سكان العاصمة وحاولوا مرة الانفصال من الجمهورية.

لعبت بريطانيا دوراً كبيراً في تغيير شكل المدينة وذلك بعد ان اتخذتها قاعدة حربية لها ابان الحرب العالمية الثانية، وفي عام 1956م انشأت فيها بريطانيا قاعدة جوية، وذلك خلال الحرب الباردة، هذه العوامل اكسبت المدينة الشكل الحديث الذي تبدو به الآن، وكذلك مدينة ماليه التي تعد العاصمة واكبر الجزر والتي اخذت حيزاً كبيراً من الجمال والاهتمام والجذب السياحي، وقد اصبحت بذلك جزر المالديف من بين الدول العشر الأوائل التي يتجه اليها السياح إما لقضاء شهر العسل او لقضاء اوقات استجمام وراحه.

- احلام معوضه القحطاني

Khaleejesque met with the brand’s founder, Hania, who designs abayas for the most fashion literate clientele in the Gulf and who has transformed this brand into an iconic regional retail brand in the world of abayas.

Can you tell us more about yourself?

I like to describe myself as a fashion designer and business woman. My BA was in Economics. In addition,  I took several courses in photography and  fashion design when I was in the U.S.  In 2011, I started my business Oriental By Hania as a fashion brand that was part of my father’s fashion company.

How did you get into fashion?

I have been interested in fashion and design ever since I was a little girl. When I was young, my  parents encouraged me and believed in my talent. I started participating and giving my opinions in some designs and displays that were produced at my father’s fashion company. After returning from the states, I became motivated to start my own business and that was the start of my fashion adventure.

What inspires you?

For me the inspiration comes from everywhere. I have been taught and inspired by life.

Who do you design for?

I design different styles, but I especially like to design for confident, ambitious and bold women. Each woman has a different background and style. When a lady visits my store, she will definitely find something that will match her taste and preferences. In short, I don’t design abayas, I design dreams.

Do you think fashion and style are things that can be attained through practice, or are they things that you are born with?

I think people are born with style. It’s not something that can be developed by practice and studying.

How has the feedback been towards your fashion brand?

As a business woman feedback is the most important part in my trade, since it enables me to modify my product if needed. What made me motivated was the amazing feedback I recieved. The majority of people liked my abayas and told me that they were different from my competitors’ in terms of the quality and style. Moreover, I built a huge customer base in a short period. I’m happy that they trust and believe in my designs and I look forward to keeping my customers satisfied.

Do you have any advice for other fashion designers wanting to break out into the business?

Don’t be fooled with the glamour of fashion. Fashion can be a very stressful career to choose. You need to be talented and patient; willing to ask and learn. Don’t be shy asking for advice or help when needed. To build your name in fashion, be yourself and create your own brand.

For more information about Oriental by Hania, visittheir Facebook Page or call their studio (+966) 556509828.

- Khaleejesque Staff

Sharjah Media Centre, the communications arm of the Government of Sharjah,  launched the second edition of “50 Must Know Facts About Sharjah.” The first edition of the book “50 Must Know Facts About Sharjah” was released in November 2011 during the 30th Sharjah International Book Fair.

According to His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Corporation and Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre: “The book provides valuable information on Sharjah in both Arabic and English. Sporting an attractive and easy-to-read format, it substantiates each fact with a photograph especially shot by international lensman Simon Newton for this initiative. It also sheds light on some unknown but interesting historical, cultural, and tourism-related information about Sharjah in a bid to reiterate its position as a leading emirate in a number of diverse areas.”

Some facts caught our eye in the first “50 Must Know Facts About Sharjah” first edition and we had to share! 

• His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, is the 18th ruler of the emirate from the Al Qasimi ruling family, which dates back to AD1600.
• Sharjah is the only emirate that shares its borders with the other six emirates of the UAE.
• The cost of industrial investment in Sharjah is 35 per cent lower than the rest of the UAE.
• The UAE’s first school, library and municipality were set up in Sharjah. It was also the first emirate to provide education for women in 1942.
• Sharjah was the first to establish an airport in the Gulf region.

For more information about the book and the Emirat of Sharjah, check out Media Centre’s website.

T-Shirt Policy was launched in 2010 with a collection of white t-shirts with black screen prints. The brand grew steadily to include more designs and limited edition t-shirts. Today, T-Shirt Policy has an online boutique on ASOS, and can be found in select boutiques in Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt and the USA.

The gift up for grabs is a cool ice cream cone illustrated t-shirt. To get a chance to win it, answer the following question in the comments section below:

When was Khaleejesque’s first print issue published? (Hint: 2012)

(a) January
(b) February
(c) March
(d) April

This giveaway is open to all readers (local and international).

Only one comment per person.

Note: Only one submission per IP Address!

The contest ends on Saturday the 26th of May 2012 at Midnight KWT time.

We usually find whales in the sea, but outside the woods of Ushuaia, Argentina, lies an enormous whale. A magnificent sculpture by 31-year-old artist Adrián Villar Rojas titled “My Family Dead.”

This life-size blue whale deep in the woods was created in 2009. The artist used wood, rocks, and clay to create this monstrous creature. We wonder if the whale was left to be reclaimed by the earth?

via www.thisiscolossal.com

Part of what you do as an entrepreneur is to take a risk.  Part of taking that risk is dealing with criticism along the way.

You may hear things like:

“You will fail.”

“Why would anyone want to use your product?”

“No one would buy this.”

“Are you qualified to do this?”

“Don’t you have to study something to do that?”

“Why don’t you do something else instead?”

“Listen to me, I know better. It won’t work.”

“Have a backup plan. You know… In case…”

The strength of your belief in what you want to do, coupled with your support system, will allow you to look past the critics and will take you to the finish line.

Nevertheless, along the way, a lot of people give up due to an increase of critics, and a decrease in the support system.

I came up with a formula for dealing with critics and battling their negativity:

1. Surround yourself with positive people ONLY.
2. Negative people need to be weeded out. Otherwise you should control or steer the conversation to the positive.
3. Don’t share your hopes, dreams and future plans with the negatives, as you have now left yourself exposed in a battle with no weaponry. And they are sure to poke holes in your ideas. That does not mean you should be private about sharing your work; just share it with those who will back you up, support you, mentor you, will give you constructive criticism, and/or connect you with someone who will aid you.
4. Have at least one person you can lean on, that you can talk to everyday, and who loves you unconditionally. Someone who is a mentor to you and can guide you to the next step.

Most importantly, you, yourself, must believe in your work, or else how can others believe in you? Battle those who try to take you down, and protect your vision. Even if they are your own parents (as is so often the case).

Unfortunately, a lot of budding entrepreneurs need to battle a negative parent (or two), who tells them to choose a safer path, to wait until the markets pick up before launching their business idea, etc, etc.

And for that, I suggest being stubborn, pursuing your plans, and attempting to get funding without them. For when you do succeed, they will end up being the most proud of you.

Wafa Alobaidat writes a bi-monthly column for Khaleejesque and muses on fashion, art, culture and culture shock in the Middle East. Wafa is also the editor of Sketchbook magazine and runs design and PR agency Obai and Hill.

To get in touch with Wafa, email her at obaiandhill@live.com or follow her on Twitter @fashionambition

Join them in their 2012 exhibition held on Tuesday and Wednesday the 15th and 16th of May at Arabana Warehouse from 5-10 pm and see their new collection.

To learn more about the event, the experiment and their beautifully engineered product line, visit their website, or follow them on Twitter/instagram @experiment_1

ZUMA, Dubai’s multi award-winning restaurant and lounge was listed as number 83 in World’s Best Restaurants list. Additionally, ZUMA in Dubai was the highest placed restaurant in the MENA region.

Now in its tenth year, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is recognised around the world as the most credible indicator of the best places to eat globally; a trusted arbiter of what matters in global cuisine. Voting for the awards is facilitated through a panel of food connoisseurs based around the world, each of whom nominate their favourite restaurants from their respective regions.

ZUMA’s unique success in the Middle East as a standard bearer of authentic Japanese cuisine, its meticulous attention to detail and innovative approach was felt to earn the restaurant a place within the Top 100.

We love Zuma!

For more information and bookings at Zuma Dubai, check out their website.

Have you ever wanted to be active in your community and literally ‘voice’ your concerns? You can now. Voice for Success is a program that aims to raise awareness on the social and environmental problems that young activists are working on solving in Kuwait. Created by en.v in collaboration with The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), the initiative is basically “dedicated to social responsibility in the Arab world. en.v’s primary objective is to seek out public sector bodies, private sector and civil society organizations in the region, document their efforts, and create interactivity between them towards developing a more thought-conscious society”.

Voice for Success developed short videos and articles to illustrate the initiatives and contributions of the social developments in Kuwait, all their content is promoted through its online news portal as well as through YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Faisal Al Fuhaid is one of the young activists the program focuses on, in his video report he talks about why he decided to get involved in fighting against bullying and discrimination in Kuwaiti schools. Dalal Al Abdulrazzak is another candidate who tells about about the consequences of over-fishing on Kuwait’s marine life. By sharing their achievements with your friends and family you can show your support and help raise awareness on these problems taking place in our society.

For more information on the program and to view more inspiring videos, visit their website www.voiceforsuccess.envearth.com