Yemeni, French photographers depict women of Yemeni countryside

Yemen Observer: http://www.yobserver.com

Yemeni, French photographers depict women of Yemeni countryside

Posted in: Reports
Written By: Fares Anam
Article Date: Mar 11, 2008 - 2:43:04 AM

Woman admires the distinguished works of Yemeni and French photographers, whose photos depict the faces and lives of Yemeni women and children in the countryside.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the French Cultural Center opened an exhibition depicting the living conditions of rural Yemeni women. The exhibition’s pictures were taken by the well-known and talented Yemeni photographer, Boushra al-Mutawakel, and distinguished French photographer, Jean-Baptiste Lopez. The exhibition will run from March 8 to 22.

The idea of the exhibition is to highlight the technical outlook and approach of the French and Yemeni photographers with the important goal of bettering the social status of women, especially in Yemen’s countryside.

Yemeni photographer Boushra al-Mutawakel said that the idea of this exhibition came from the French Embassy, who are supporting the exhibition financially. She said that the idea was to celebrate International Women’s Day by educating the public on rural women’s environment in Yemen.

The two photographers toured the country for a week, visiting projects backed by the French Embassy in Yemen which support women. “We went to five different places, or more than five actually, such as villages in the countryside of al-Mahwit, Hajja, Dhamar, Taiz and al-Hodeidah provinces,” al-Mutawakel said.

Through the display, the photographers invite us to discover Yemeni women and also the work of non-governmental organizations that work on behalf of women in those areas they visited.

Some of these projects implemented by non-governmental organizations such as ONG, CARE, DIA, SOUL and AL-SADA work to advance the education of young women, to help the economic integration of women and generally provide support for marginalized people.

The exhibition includes 50 photos by the two talented photographers showing the innocent beauty of Yemeni women in the countryside. “The exhibition also has some pictures of men, but they are mostly of women because of the occasion of International Women’s Day,” al-Mutawakel said.

The photographs show the women in everyday life and tasks: one of the pictures is of a woman in the sewing center making a ‘mawaz’ (the robe that Yemeni people wear around their waist) in Taiz governorate; some pictures focus on women with their children in their homes; another shows a woman learning how to write, and yet another a woman feeding her cow.

“It was a good experience, and I learned a lot about my country and the areas of the countryside lacking in basic needs such as water, electricity, education and basic health,” said al-Mutawakel. “They want more than help, they were so positive; they do not feel depressed, they just want a better life. They are going on with their lives and surviving. That is what we noticed when we took these pictures.”

“Al-Mutawakel is an artist in every sense of the word and I have followed her work for a long time. Today she offered up beautiful touches through these really beautiful pictures and I wish them all success and progress,” said Amin Dirhem, Chairman of Tihama Tractors and Engineering Co. Ltd and a visitor to the exhibition.

French photographer Jean-Baptiste Lopez is currently working for the French Embassy and also for the Yemen Observer Publishing House free-lancing on several projects. He went with al-Mutawakel to several areas of the country in order to take the pictures for the current exhibition. “It was a good experience to work with al-Mutawakel; she was explaining to me all the traditions of the women in the countryside,” Lopez said.

“I photograph my best pictures when I love the people and the people love me. I think the women are always beautiful and friendly, so their pictures always turn out amazing when I photograph them,” said Lopez. This exhibition is the second for Lopez; the first one he presented in his home in Sana’a Old City showcasing pictures of Manakha and Hadhramout.

Dr. Raufa Hassan, Chairwomen of the Culture Development Planning Foundation, was among the attendees expressing admiration for the exhibition. “I liked the exhibition so much; I liked the artistic glimpses and touches that al-Mutawakel has,” she said.

“I was impressed by the pictures of people in their normal conditions and women in the social activities of their lives,” Dr. Hassan said. “The mixing of light and shadows gives a somewhat strange feel to some of the pictures, but it is artistic and an admirable touch.”

The exhibition is a special effort by French officials highlighting projects that they support which are managed by different societies and organization, she said. “We in the Culture Development Planning Foundation are a non-governmental organization which has a project in Socotra for example,” Hassan said.

“The exhibition was so wonderful and the pictures were so expressive. It presented some new places that I did not know about before,” said Mohammed al-Shami, a visitor to the exhibition. “The photographers when they took these pictures tried to send a message to help these people, especially women, who lack water, education and basic health.”

Al-Mutawakel pointed that the message the exhibition is trying to send is to show how Yemeni women live in the countryside and the troubles that face them daily. “I hope that Yemen will provide for these women in the countryside all the basic needs like water, electricity, health and education,” she said.