Lives of Others – the Kurdish Photographer

An excerpt from a fellow photographer’s biography – I do not know him and he does not know me. While searching for some data I stumbled upon his description of his life:

“I am XY a Kurdish photographer, I was born 1981 in Iraqi Kurdistan.

and I am graduate in the photography institute in London. Major news agencies and publishing companies have published my work such as: New York Times،  The Guardian Newspaper, Human Rights Watch, Chicago Tribune, etc.

Description of My Work

 : Although I want no part of war, war leaves its mark on me and I have come to consider both what is happy and sad in our lives by its measure.

Thus, in my mother’s mind, I was born ‘when the Iran-Iraq war started’,

and my grandfather would recall he got engaged (to be married)  ‘during World War I ’.

It seems that war has become part of our lives.

Our children do not know of peace and as a result grow up playing war. In Slemani, a child made a picture of a passenger plane which had bombs falling from it. Above the picture he had written ’I can travel’. It made me wonder. I asked him, “why is your passenger plane dropping bombs?’ His answer was,’ Why? Is there a plane which does not throw bombs?!’

Through my photos I try to erase the idea of war.”

jm

Aug 9th, 2011