Country: Egypt
City: Cairo

Website

Curriculum Vitae

Abstract of the accomplished photographic work

The Longing of the Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken is a collaboration with the Bedouin community of South Sinai, Egypt to explore the notion of belonging. The Bedouin community defines this notion through their intertwined attachment to land – they are its eternal keepers. The community are participants in the creative process, contributing with their traditional mediums such as embroidery and poetry. The result is a dance, a visual conversation on the continuous human process of searching for home and a celebration of the indigenous experience that has long been seen through a romanticized gaze. The project advocates for reshaping the representation of native and non-western communities in future narratives. The final outcome is a complementary collection of photographs, written content, embroidered photographs on fabric and photographic paper, artifacts, sound and video.

Captions

The city centre of St. Catherine protectorate in South Sinai, Egypt. Naturally isolated from other regions in Egypt and uniquely defined by the interconnectedness of people and land. January 2021
The Longing Of The Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken
Yasmine (32) picks wild herbs as she walks through the valley near her home at Sheikh Awad village. February 2021. Yasmine was six months pregnant, walking the village herd around the mountains of Gharba, when we first met nearly seven years ago.
Keepers Of The Land
Seliman holds the Khodary plant in his family garden in Gharba Valley, St. Catherine, South Sinai, Egypt. October 2020. Seliman manages an ecolodge with his cousins in Gharba valley but as the pandemic spreads throughout Egypt, less and less guests come to stay at the ecolodge and now the family redirects their focus on the family gardens. "We don't have Corona here, but we are affected by it. Look, these plants are our face masks." says Seliman.
Keepers Of The Land
Keepers Of The Land
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Nadia Embroidered photograph of Nadia by her cousin Mariam. St. Catherine, Egypt, 2019 Up until the 1990s, women were prohibited from being seen by men from other tribes without their consent. As technology evolved, the awareness that an image might be circulated on the internet and accessed by people beyond one’s control escalated this concern. This led some women to refuse to ever be photographed for fear of losing control of how and to whom they’re represented. In this collaborative process with the female Bedouins, every woman I photograph adds embroidery to her portrait or to a photograph she chooses printed on fabric. In the process, she freely reveals or conceals the contents of the photograph using the traditional medium of embroidery, taking full control over her representation in the project.
The Loniging Of The Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken
Ashraf and Nora's home in AlTarfa village. St. Catherine, South Sinai, Egypt. April 2019. Considered as sacred grounds, Bedou’ homes are only open to men from the family or female neighbors. Everyone; strangers or friends are welcomed to the guest yard where they’re greeted by the children and the man of the house. Depending on the closeness of the relationship specific chambers are open.
The Loniging Of The Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken
Moussa Algebaly (25) from the Jebeleya tribe lies under the tea flower plant after daily maintenance in his garden in Al Tarfa, South Sinai, Egypt. April 2020. When boiled, the tea flower plant helps reduce period and labour pain for the Bedouin women who struggle to find medical care. After years of drought, a major flood occurred in mid-March 2020, providing an agricultural opportunity for the Bedouin community amid the economic impacts caused by the pandemic. For the community whose main source of income is tourism, the flood is a miracle. The land has given back to its keepers in the time of crisis.
Keepers Of The Land
Embroidered photograph of Hajja Oum Mohamed (53) in her garden in Gharba Valley. Embroidery by her.
The Loniging Of The Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken
Hoda (23) from St. Catherine city stands on the edge of a hill looking over Gharba Valley. April 2019.
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Mohamed stands in Gharba Valley as he adjusts his Kuffieya. I've known Mohamed since he was 8 years old. His drawings are in the end leaf of the book. Mohamed died in a car crash in November 2023, he was 16 years old. Poetry translation: We are the Arabs the genuine Bedou’ We carry loyalty and kindness at heart We walk with all kinds with no hate We protect our guests and welcome them No color but all color qually Equals without calculations We shake hands to form bonds Our hearts have no doubt but agony Poetry created and written by Seliman Abu Anas
The Longing Of The Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken
Concrete apartment buildings stand empty across between mountains in St. Catherine, South Sinai, Egypt; a protected mountainous area inhabited by native Bedouin communities. In disregard to environmental laws and Bedouin culture the blocks were built by the government as housing services for the Bedouin locals and workers coming from across the country. Nevertheless, nature and tradition remain to dominate space. These buildings represent the long standing power struggle and tension between the government and the local Bedouin community. Connected to the land by blood, the Bedouin community’s knowledge of the mountains and movements within it intimidates a government that seeks control and sole power. April 2019.
The Loniging Of The Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken
“So what else are you preparing for your wedding?” I asked Zienab, who is about to be a bride, her wedding is right after Eid. “I want a sparkling red dress from Cairo to wear in my henna.” She said describing her bachelorette party. “It’s much more important than the wedding dress. Henna is where the fun happens. I’ll text you my size if you find something.” She said as we walked back to the village before sunset. Zeinab holds an Abaya (black dress) bought from the Gulf. As traditional Beoduin clothes disappear due to economic challenges, Bedouin women find themselves buying clothes from the Gulf countries to give some similarities to their fading traditional garments. AlTarfa Village, St. Catherine, South Sinai, Egypt. April 20201.
The Loniging Of The Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken
Expensive in material - less traditional garments and jewellery are made as the local economy declines leading women to wear generic clothing items imported by vendors from other cities in Egypt. Nevertheless, traditions evolve and stay alive: women, specifically brides-to-be, make fashion statements by wearing garments gifted to them by their husbands to be; a sort of subtle flirtation as she walks everyday into the mountains. As told by Hajja Rabia'a. Embroidered photograph by Fatma Om Gawaher from AlTarfa village
The Loniging Of The Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken
“We’re almost there” A Bedou’ white lie to get you to the top of the mountain. Sheikh Jamil, tribe elder and leader of Sheikh Awad village, natural medicine expert and guide aged 67. December 2016
Keepers Of The Land
Embroidered photograph of Jabal AlBanat, The Mountain Of The Girls. Embroidery by Yasmine (32) from Sheikh Awad village. Legend tells of three beautiful Bedouin girls; the prettiest among the tribe with the longest most luscious hair of all. The girls’ parents forcefully arranged marriages for them all on the same night. Feeling forced to wed; the three girls decided to go up a nearby mountain. Bonded by their long strong hair braids; together the three girls leaped off the summit. Since then the mountain has been named after them as a reminder for women’s right to choose - Jabal Albanat: The mountain of the girls.
The Loniging Of The Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken
Seliman dragging a plastic sheet to dry his plant harvest on. October 2020.
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Watching a 90's Egyptian movie on the wrongfully convicted. In Hussein's living room. April 2021.
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Desert bathroom.
The Longing Of The Stranger Whose Path Has Been Broken
Every day, the women of AlTarfa village walk in a group of four from sunrise to sunset leading the herd of sheep and goats as they feed on the wild plants of the surrounding mountains. As the herd feeds, the women talk, share concerns, ask for advice and learn from one another. A sisterhood that is formed through mutual support and unity. From left to right: Nora, Nadia and Mariam stand on the edge of a mountain looking over their village AlTarfa, St. Catherine, South Sinai, Egypt. February 2021.
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Foot engravings from past Bedouin guides throughout decades.
Keepers Of The Land

Description of the project you intend to pursue through the Prize

Egypt’s Flora Field Guide documents the native flora through cultural stories & practices that are disappearing due to urbanization & climate change. Focusing on stories from the Nile river delta across Egypt. Examining the urban and natural changes and its relationship to the communities’ life, stories, experiences and their connection to the land.

In 2021, the Egyptian government launched the “New Nation” project aspiring to turn Egypt into the new Dubai. In disregard to the country’s rich environmental and cultural heritage, valleys have been paved, temples demolished, natural landscapes destroyed and native communities displaced. In addition to the rapid climate change, Egypt is facing man-made alterations in its natural landscape resulting in a distance between the land and its people. A major part of our identity and survival lies in our connection to the land, bringing awareness to environmental change and preserving the natural and architectural heritage of our world.