Stumbled across photographer Boushra Almutawakel today. “Wow!” But don’t take my word for it. Visit her website to see for yourself.
Here’s some background:
Almutawakel was born in Yemen (1969). She studied at American University in D.C., becoming interested in photography. When she returned to Yemen in 1994, her fondness for photography flourished into a passion. By 1998, she pursued that passion full time — garnering an impressive list of clients, including the United Nations, CARE International, the National Institute for Health Education as well as the British Council and French Embassy.
I’ve a profound appreciation for photographers, having worked extensively with these imaginative image-makers as a reporter for the Pasco County edition of The Tampa Tribune in the 1970s and, later, as Associate Graphics Editor for that newspaper in the 1980s. The photogs I worked with faced brutally brittle deadlines in that pre-digital age when the craft was as much about chemicals and darkroom proficiency as it was composition.
Almutawakel’s images engaged me. Why? She captures something soulish with her camera — even when the subjects are inanimate objects like shoes, chairs or kitchen utensils. But it’s the portraits of people in her portfolio that are most profound.
Here a link to the article that first caught my eye. It’s headlined “A woman’s place in the Middle East? For some, it’s behind a camera.” The story is written by Philip Kennicott, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Art & Architecture Critic of The Washington Post. Almutawakel is among the artists featured.
It’s well-worth a look-see — even if photography isn’t your thing.
