Dead Sea I
Five years ago, I traveled to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Hebron. After my journeys to Lebanon and Iran, it became the culmination of my years of travel in the Middle East. A photographer always captures images from the position they find themselves in, and in this case, it meant moving quickly through numerous obstacles that required caution. To attempt to depict the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which spans decades, through a series of photographs would be pretentious and superficial. However, for me, this experience was transformative in many ways, primarily in understanding the meaning of the occupation of Palestine and how power manifests itself on the body, as well as in actions and thoughts in this part of the world. That's precisely why I omitted direct photographs depicting the daily violence against Palestinians from this series, which has resurfaced this year and is only discussed by a few voices. Additionally, upon careful examination of these photographs, one can recognize the politics clearly embedded in spatial relationships. I miss this part of the world and hope for a prompt return.
