Bayn Suwarna, Arabic for ‘among our photographs’, is an independent project and visual archive that spotlights impactful photography from the Middle East and North Africa and publishes reviews of photography books old and new.
The primary goals of this project are to examine how the Middle East and North Africa are photographed and to explore social and political themes such as culture, conflict, longing, and love through documentary-style photography of the region.
This project will also center photographers from and sensitive to the region whose efforts are often obscured or outright rejected in favor of exoticizing, dehumanizing, or otherwise exploitative photography.
Ultimately, Bayn Suwarna aims to ask these questions: What gets photographed? Who gets to take these photographs? Which of these images are chosen for public consumption, what is the messaging, and why?
Project Features
Photography Book Reviews
In-depth reviews of photography books and monographs about the Middle East and North Africa with specific focus on how these publications and photographers treat their subjects.
Spotlights
Brief reviews of individually powerful photographs that merit further contextualization, commentary, or technical appreciation.
Photography Collections
Series of photographs, like visual essays, assembled from projects or bodies of work that engage important social, cultural, and political themes and that are often unpublished in print media.
Bookshelf
A comprehensive collection of photography books and references organized by country or theme.
This website will also publish interviews with photographers and reflections on matters such as the ethics of documentary photography, the development and design of photography books, and contemporary challenges faced by photographers not just in the Middle East and North Africa but also in other frequently exploited regions of the world.
Contact
Questions, corrections, or recommendations? Send a message to skk@baynsuwarna.com.