Realism in Rawiya

About

The Arab Spring, life in Gaza, graffiti in Eygpt and Saudi womenwho desire to sing solo on stage. These are among the stories revealed in Realism in Rawiya — the first female photographic collective in the Middle East. Bridging the worlds of documentary and art, the works on show focus on the photographer's lived experience. They all established their careers as photojournalists by working for news agencies and publications across the Arab world. By living and reporting in the region, the photographer's gained an insiders insight of the extremities of their locations. This exhibition brings together photography and film that stretches beyond observation and reflection. It is, as artist Newsha Tavakolian says, ‘a way of breathing within the smothering world of censorship'. Realism in Rawiya includes work by Myriam Abdelaziz (Cairo), Tanya Habjouqa (East Jerusalem), Delia Khamissy (Beirut) and Newsha Tavakolian (Tehran). This exhibition coincides with the the 2013 British Comparative Literature Association Conference: Migration. With a special strand dedicated to the Arab Spring, this conference is hosted by the University of Essex 8-11 July. A touring exhibition from New Art Exchange, Nottingham.