As We See It

This exhibition is one of the outcomes of Images of Islam, a British Council Connecting Futures project initiated in 2003. This project brought together two groups of young female photographers from Dar Al-Hekma College in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and the University College of the Creative Arts, Farnham, UK. The broader aims of the project are to build mutual understanding, learning and respect between young people with different cultural backgrounds, in this case using photography as a common medium and interest.

The two groups were brought together on visits and study exchanges. These were whirlwind experiences in each other’s countries that questioned ideas of what it meant to be a young British/Saudi woman. Over the course of the project they have had the opportunity to explore their own and one another’s identity and learn more about their concerns and mutual interests. Their photographic practice has been challenged when going into different contexts where the ‘rules and culture’ of photography have been unfamiliar.

The title of the exhibition, ‘As We See It,’ exemplifies a photographic exploration that is fresh, young, individual and very personal. The exhibition is not a comprehensive portrayal of life or Islam in either country but a snapshot that nevertheless offers a glimpse of the diversity within the two countries. We hope that by sharing the experiences of the photographers in this exhibition with a wider audience it offers not only enjoyable and stimulating viewing but also a new and valued body of work.

Projects Managers: Sally Anderson and Peter Morison

Curator: Sean Williams

Exhibition Assistant: Nadia El-Sebai