Limited Edition Photographic Series
Part 01 of an on-going global photographic series looking at societies through water
'Like the legs of a bulb intersecting its way through the earth... We find our roots reaching out grasping at the water that holds us. Never caught, only held, we continue growing.'
*Notes from Estabrak Al-Ansari's writings 2015
About 'Omanis Under Water'
Omanis.. Submerged in water.
Headless, faceless only their bodies and dress tell us a story.
Beauty. Oman offers natural beauty. And in the sea, it is just as
beautiful and peaceful as out here on land.
The oceans motion takes over as traditional dress starts to
explore the body. Outlines start to reveal parts dress was always
meant to hide.. But the waters a place we cannot exist for long
periods of time..
Is the water representative of our environment?
Men in white dresses.. Women forever in black.
Omanis Under Water is a photographic series looking at Omani society & people through one of it's most historic and economically rewarding possessions; its Coast lines. In turn, this series looks at the movement of life and ones identity through a lens only seen via the simple but complex matter of water...
But the ocean is a place many find comfort in. It's also a place that can easily both destroy or save us.. It is a place with so much beauty and hidden mysteries.
This series shines a light on some of those traditions and faces usually gone unnoticed via the normalisation of societal uniform. Ultimately, without the currents that bring change under the surface of both land and water, winds wouldn't be able to direct no boats or ships, similarly in turn; directing us.
In reflection, this work looks at the relationship between the body, the self, dress, movement, conformity and concepts such as localised history, social customs, expectations, transitions and understanding.. It also explores the idea of masculinity & femininity and probes at concepts surrounding the 'black and white' culture within the context of the Middle East.
Leonardo Da Vinci once said;
'In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time.'
And with that, so the next chapter shall be written...
“Socially, the ocean is an escape from the physical restraints on our bodies which act a certain way on land, to ‘behave’, to comply with conformities. The trauma of the Omani landscape resounds loudly in contemporary society, where the water is silent.'
- Excerpt from a recent article written by Natalie McGuire
examining some of my 'Omanis Under Water' photographic works.
