In Her Country
‘I suffer and I feel that I am in exile. But when I write stories, I am like someone who is in her own country, walking along streets that she has known since she was a child, between walls and streets that are hers...This is my vocation and I shall work at it until I die.’
Natalia Ginzburg, My Vocation (1949)
Taking a portrait does not come easy to me. It frightens me, actually. I think this fear might stem from my own dread of being photographed. Observing behind a camera, however, reveals another kind of strain and performance. It necessitates a delicate balance of power and an exchange of trust.
‘In Her Country’ is a series of portraits I started in February 2020, through which I attempted to examine the relationship between a woman and her practice. I consider this relationship just as worthy of being documented as any other. This context was crucial to my desire to create portraits that are for and not of, that admire, honour, and give women agency in how they want to be represented.
I reached out to several women. Some were close to me and others I hadn’t met before, but all of them were generous with their truth. These photographs were taken in spaces that are meaningful to them and to their craft, and are accompanied by their own words on the significance of their vocations.
Eman, Writer and Translator
It was, at that moment, translating the final statement made by Lily Briscoe in Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, I realised that I must pursue my vision, my novel. Two years ago, literary translation set me back into my path. Rewriting other writers’ novels in my own language gave me the tools and courage to write my own novel, to manifest my own voice.
Shahd, Writer and Professor of English Literature
Being a literature professor was a dream I never thought could come true. I have struggled with multiple sclerosis since I was eighteen. To me, being alive and healthy is a privilege. My literary world gives me room to exist, to be, and to breathe. Literature saves my life every day.
Sara, Yoga Teacher
In my healing journey, I knew I wanted to share this love with others. To introduce love to them as I introduced it to myself.
Amira, Piano Teacher
I started playing the piano at a very young age. It was a hobby at first, but my love for music grew within me over the years. After graduating, I got married and moved to Kuwait. He passed away when I was pregnant with my son. Everything changes when you are a mother. My love for music never wavered.
Istabraq, Writer
Shurooq, Painter and Poet
Sarah, Children’s Book Author
Dima Assad is a Jordanian photographer based in Kuwait. Her photo-essays examine social narratives, raising questions of identity and belonging.
Instagram: @dima__assad
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