“Portraits of Resilience” exhibition at the EEAS, Brussels
When I first started “Portraits of Resilience”, I set out to produce an art campaign that would provide survivors a voice to tell their stories. I did not want to define survivors of torture by their trauma, but in the beauty of their resilience. I wanted to capture a series of colourful and powerful portraits that each participant would be proud of.
Hagir Elsheikh, a participant in “Portraits of Resilience”, and a human rights activist told me, “The first thing you lose is your voice. Reclaiming it takes courage, hard work, and support.”
“Portraits of Resilience” is a unique survivor centred approach of storytelling, showing who each person is and providing a voice to be heard.
Each portrait is created collaboratively, giving participants the choice to share their story openly or anonymously, and to decide how much they wish to reveal.
Each survivor selects personal pictures to be projected onto them, and choses how much it obscures their identity.
Portraits of Resilience is a self-funded personal project that I have been working on for over a decade in collaboration with TASSC International, REDRESS and Freedom from Torture.
It was always intended as being part of the overall campaign to abolish torture. I set out to show the work in public spaces, galleries, and places that align with human rights.
Portraits of Resilience has been exhibited at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC, at the United Nations in Geneva and is currently at the European External Action Service in Brussels.
I am always looking for support in any form. I would like to expand the series and photograph more survivors from different areas, I would like to exhibit the work in other spaces, and I would like to publish a book of the pictures. If you can help with any of these please get in contact.
