Behind the Portrait

Adeolu Osibodu. Losing Amos. Shot in Ogun State, Nigeria

My Grandfather, Amos died in late 2014. It wasn't until then I realised how casual my idea of him was. I constantly asked myself why I couldn’t see beyond his heavy grins. Why I couldn’t define him as more than the man who was never not glad. Was that all there was or did I just completely miss the point of having people before me? 
Here is a self-portrait in which I am contained by an attire he owned at a certain time in his life. 

Griselda San Martin. Through the Wall. Shot in San Diego, USA & Tijuana, Mexico

This particular stretch of the U.S.- Mexico border fence is called Friendship Park. It where families convene to see their loved ones through the massive metal wall that separates them. In this image, deported musician Jose Marquez visits his daughter Susanna and fourteen-year-old grandson Johnny who are both on the U.S. side of the fence. Jose and his daughter have been separated by the border wall for 15 years, since he was deported from the United States after living and working in San Diego for almost two decades.

Katarina Premfors. Sira South Sorong, Papua, Indonesia.

The villagers have lived off their land in balance with nature. Young boys go hunting for days with spears. Barefoot and silent. Women go alone to hunt for game. Barefoot.
Their feet are constantly trying to reconnect with soil, the trees and each other. The villagers have always been practicing sustainable farming. They only take what they need from the forest. They have a great respect for the land they live on are in harmony with the earth. 

Yassine Alaoui Ismaili. Karima, The Acrobat. Shot in Marrakesh, Morocco

In the hidden side of Jamaa-Lafna, the poor are often forced into begging, or prostitution for income. Jawad and Karima were not interested in that type of living. They wanted to create something that has value - that people will pay to see. They started improvising together as acrobats outside cafés and in the square. Even though they were chased away they were undeterred and they turned their act into a highly artistic, contemporary experience. They quickly won the tourists’ support. Karima is the only female acrobat in the square, and the two are its youngest performers. 

Lamya Gargash. Khalo Aysheh. Shot in Ajman, UAE

This is a portrait of my great aunt Aysheh. She was a cousin of my father’s, as well as a cousin of my grandmother, who also shared the habit of wearing two rings on each hand. But in my grandmother's case, her rings had to be identical. Perhaps I’m melancholic and just yearn for a scent of the past, but also, I am constantly aware of our mortality and the changing of times and how it’s important to bring to life these wonderful details that may not exist in the years to come.
 

Maha Alasaker. Farah Khajah, 2016. Shot in AlAsimah, Kuwait

It is not easy being Arab / Muslim in general. But if you know what you're doing ... If you know what you want ... Everything will fall in place eventually..." - Farah Khajah, 31, Single, Events organizer (2016)  

From a wider series titled Women of Kuwait.

Saad Eltinay. Connections. Shot in Sudan.

Today and in advance, I would like to say thank you. Thank you for the extra warmth in our mother’s womb and for enduring so many fateful slings and arrows together, thank you for constantly sharing your delights and sometimes sharing my distress. I hope that we forever treasure me and you; after all, the fabled connection between twins is true. 

Samia Qaiyum. I Saw Myself in Him. Shot in Galle, Sri Lanka.

The term TCK – or Third Culture Kid – has come to define me, bringing with it both pride and shame. This identity (or lack thereof) is the reason why I simultaneously fit in and feel like a complete misfit everywhere I go. Like many who are born and raised in Dubai, I've long grappled with the concept of home. It's precisely due to my chaotic background that I stopped to photograph this particular group, which represents a small sliver of the Muslim community. It continues to resonate with me.

Behind every portrait is a story. These stunning frames are just some highlights of Gulf Photo Plus’ annual community exhibition, which was based not just on the portrait but also on the photographer’s tale that accompanies it.

Ranging from the poignant tale of Mexico’s Friendship Park, where people who are divided by the impasse between North and Central America meet and converse through an iron fence to the unbreakable bond between twins, the photographer’s views attached to these images bring an extra layer of insight and relevance.

Over 500 images were submitted for the exhibition and the final selection contains work from 38 photographers. With each story, the viewer is encouraged to gaze deeper into the life of the subject, and the moment in which it was captured.

The images and their compelling stories will be accessible on the gallery’s website even after the exhibition ends. 

• Behind The Portrait. September 13 - October 7, 2017. Gulf Photo Plus, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai