NANA-TOMY: Close-up shot in Black & White photography. This image symbolizes the passing of time. It is an image of my grandmother's and my hand. The bracelets that seem to link together highlight the strong bond that connect us through love and the passing down of a solid value system. We are separate but united as one.
APOCALYPSE: Urban scene shot in Black & White. This photograph was taken at the site of the Beirut port blast. The group is running away from the port as if playing, the streets have no cars. It is a discreet reference to the destruction and speaks of the untold. It is only when you look closely that you see the destroyed buildings, the satellites on the TV station cars and the glass shards on the road.
PEARL: High contrast shot in Black & White taken in Faraya, an area in the mountains of Lebanon. The image highlights the arid nature of the land. The contrast is further accentuated by the curved horizon line. These also become lines of a perspective focusing on the trees at the center of the image. This perspective is again highlighted by the sun ray at the top left corner of the photograph. The duality of the composition: horizon vs perspective, makes it a dynamic image of what would be a static view.
CUT OFF: Abstract shot taken in Vienna of the freshly cut trees. The contrast in textures and the sharp edge of the tree line as opposed to the blurry softness of the sky gives a reassuring order to the viewer. There is no room for chaos.
SO-FAR: High contrast Black & White shot in Sofar, Lebanon. Although taken in 2020, this image wants to take us back to times that passed. The grainy texture along with the traditional dress of the seated group makes the mind wonder. The viewer is lost in time however the iconic pine tree of Lebanon sets the viewer in space.
LAYERS THREE: Close up seascape shot in the North of Lebanon showing the textures of the Lebanese coast. The Mediterranean sea is central to the openness of the Lebanese people. The colors of the green grass blend into the rocks that blend into the water. Although the image depicts rough materials, an overall unspoken feeling of softness flows from the photograph.
THAWRA: Close up shot from the Lebanese Independence Day march organized by the people in November 2019 during "Thawra" (i.e. revolution). The day was symbolic in the sense that it united a previously divided people against the corrupt government. This unity is highlighted with the holding of hands of men in civilian clothing that in contrast stand in an army like formation. The people are the army of the nation on November 22, 2019.
FLORA + FAUNA: Dramatic high contrast lighting shot of a pink flamingo at the zoo. This photograph uses chiaroscuro to highlight the brightness of the pink color in contrast to its surroundings. The flamingo appears in all its elegance. There is a part of another bird that appears on the right-hand side of the image and tricks the eye of the viewer to see as if a reflection of the central bird. The flamingo seems to be standing in front of a mirror when he is not.
SHADOW DANCING: High contrast shot in Black & White depicting sharp shadows that portray the strength of the sunlight. The sun is strong and the heat exudes from the whiteness of the asphalt. It is midday and the shadows are short. We are rushing to hide from the heat as shown in the dynamic running stance caught in time.
LIGHTNESS: Detail shot depicting the many attributes of light. The quality of the light varies from a warm orangey glow to a striking formal blue. The abstract imagery allows the viewer's mind to be transposed into a dreamlike moment.
WEAVING THE PAST: Dramatic reflective shot at my family's weaving factory. The factory closed its doors with the onset of the Lebanese civil war in 1975. The reflection symbolizes the past and the present, what was, as seen in the reflection and what is as seen in the top part of the image with the presence of rubble.
ZOOM: Dynamic shot of moving cars inside a tunnel. The lights play a double role of showing movement and perspective. This shot was taken at a time when I was constantly rushing to finish my exams and extra-curricular work. It depicts my state of mind at that moment when I felt I was not in sync with the world around me.