Samer Mohdad
Accomplished Visions: The Arabs
June 3–28, 2015
Samer Mohdad’s Accomplished Visions: The Arabs is a photographic tribute to the many manifestations of Arab culture as it exists in a wide range of countries. Through this project, the artist intends to challenge stereotypes that have contributed to a misunderstanding of the Arab world, primarily the conflation of Arab ethnicity with adherence to Islam and the acts of violence committed by extremist groups that misrepresent the faith. In his black-and-white prints, Mohdad captures many decisive moments, from inside serene domestic spaces to busy marketplaces and war-torn streets, in the hopes of broadening our perceptions of the experiences and cultures of the individuals he photographs.
“On my trips to Iran, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Kuwait, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Qatar, Bahrain, and Tunisia, I [looked for] the traces of past civilizations in contemporary everyday life, marked as it is by centuries of clashes between and a mingling of different religions and cultures, of destruction and reconstruction, preservation and adaptation. Despite the security issues and the misery provoked by corruption, the people still hope that change will happen and continue to inspire for a better life in a peaceful world.”
Samer Mohdad (b. 1964) grew up in Bzebdine, Lebanon, living through the Lebanese Civil War before moving to Belgium in 1983 to study photography at L’École Supérieure des Arts Saint‐Luc Liège. He subsequently earned a BSA in communications at Université de Liège, Belgium, in 1990 and an MS in visual communications at Capitol University, Seattle, in 2006. From 1988 to 2001 he worked as a writer and photographer for Agence Vu in Paris, during which time his work was published in numerous international magazines and newspapers. Mohdad is the author of six books: War Children: Lebanon 1985-1992 (Musée de l'Elysée, 1993); Return to Gaza (Musée de l'Elysée, 1996); Mes Arabies(Umschau/Braus, 1999); Assaoudia (Actes Sud, 2005); Mes Ententes (Arab Images Foundation 2005); and Beirut Mutations (Actes Sud, 2012). His recent solo exhibitions include Accomplished Visions: The Arabs (2011) and Beirut Mutations (2013) at the Mark Hachem Gallery in Beirut. His work was also featured in the 2014 FotoFest exhibition, View from Inside: Contemporary Arab Video, Photography, and Mixed Media Art, which traveled to the Abu Dhabi Festival this year. He is the winner of the 2011 Pioneer Photographer Award from the National Geographic Society All Roads Photography program.