The Veil
GPP, in collaboration with VII Photo Agency, is pleased to present The Veil, an exhibition of photographs by Egyptian photographer Laura El-Tantawy.
Free events to attend:
Opening night | Jan 14 at 7:30pm
Artist guided tour | Jan 14 at 8pm and 9pm
Artist talk | Jan 15 at 7pm
(Registration required for talk only, click here)
Through a series of images, The Veil represents El-Tantawy's exploration into this symbol, aiming to capture images that represent it as she remembers from her childhood; something soft, beautiful and completely feminine. Having grown up in a moderate Muslim family with the majority of its women adorning a veil, it was impossible for El-Tantawy to see these strong-willed women as being subject to the symbol often portrayed in the west. These misconceptions portrayed the veil was a form of oppression towards women, one that discounted their ambition, determination, their independence and ultimately their individuality.
Through The Veil El-Tantawy wants to show that the practice of covering a woman’s hair, and sometimes face, is not restricted only to followers of Islam - from India to the Middle East women have traditionally adorned some form of head cover as a public display of modesty. Also female followers of other faiths have traditionally covered their hair as part of their religious practice, such as with Catholic nuns.
According to El-Tantawy, The Veil can bring women and cultures together – it doesn’t have to divide them.
About Laura El-Tantawy
El-Tantawy is an Egyptian photographer living between Cairo and London represented by VII Photo Agency as a talented emerging photojournalist. She was born in Worcestershire, England to Egyptian parents and grew up between Saudi Arabia & Egypt. El-Tantawy started her career as a newspaper photographer later moving on to freelance so she could focus on pursuing personal projects, which include photo stories focusing on Egyptian identity, on suicide in rural India, and public life in London.
She is currently working on a book about her native Egypt exploring the essence of Egyptian identity from the time of Mubarak, the revolution and the country’s looming future.
Click here to watch an interview with Laura El-Tantawy speaking about her project titled I'll Die for You documenting suicide in rural India.
Find more interviews and work by El-Tantawy at www.lauraeltantawy.com
To learn more about VII Photo Agency visit www.viiphoto.com