Bayn Suwarna, Arabic for ‘among our photographs’, is an independent project that spotlights impactful photography from the Middle East and North Africa and publishes reviews of photography books old and new.
Photography captures moments in time for study and appreciation. It can share stories and craft narratives. It can also misrepresent subjects and cause great harm. For far too long, the Middle East and North Africa have been photographed by people insensitive to or unfamiliar with the land and its people. Their depictions can be exoticizing, dehumanizing, or exploitative. Photography sensitive to the region and its culture are often obscured, under-appreciated, or outright rejected.
Understanding that photography can dramatically shape public perception raises important questions that this project aims to explore. What gets photographed? Who gets to take these photographs? Which of these images are chosen for public consumption and why?
I am a Palestinian-American amateur photographer and photography book collector. My primary goal is to share stories from the Middle East and North Africa and explore the themes of culture, conflict, longing, and love through documentary-style photography. I also intend to share my photography book collection so that viewers may expand their own and, more importantly, find how easy it is to revel in, mourn with, and relate to this region of the world.
Sami Kishawi