Photographs of Life & Dignity: the Work of Yousif Al Shewaili
Kaya Purchase / April 13 / Photojournalism
Yousif Al Shewaili’s photographs demand to be seen. His work is a collection of arresting and poignant portraits that offer in return for your attention an intimate glimpse into the lives of a variety of different people. For three years Yousif documented the lives of those who, like him, were stuck in the Moria refugee camp in Lesbos. Since the devastating fire displaced the refugees living there, he has continued to photograph the conditions in the new Moria 2.0 camp. I am sure anyone skilled in photography could offer a much more informed description of the technical skill of his portfolio – his recent training from National Geographic is a testament to his talent.
Ignorant as I am in the art of photography, I can only allude to an intangible sense of life that he seems to capture with his camera. Yousif is a vivid storyteller, sharing a rich diversity of narratives. This diversity really illuminates the crudeness of the Western media’s tendency to clump the separate experiences of refugees into one homogenous tale: that of the helpless victim, the outsider. Yousif’s work is a counteraction to this condescending generalisation. With each photograph he hands his subject back their dignity. The observer is forced to acknowledge the individuality of each person featured. Yousif offers the viewer slices of joy, of strength, of ambition, of love without compromising the portrayal of the deplorable suffering that those forced to remain in Moria 2.0 have to contend with every day. He wants to make sure the world is aware of exactly how dehumanising the conditions of the Greek refugee camps truly are whilst simultaneously sharing the humanity of those forced to endure such a situation.
‘Humanity’ and ‘human’ are words Yousif repeated many times when I chatted to him. “We are just humans so full of humanity,” he said. “We just want to live.” It is a point that we would like to think we don’t need to be reminded of and yet if we do view refugees as human beings then why do they continue to be denied basic human rights and respect? The photographs are beautiful, but they are also an unsettling confrontation. They prompt one to analyse one’s own relationship with global news. How desensitised have we really become to images of suffering? These portraits offer an alternative to the news footage we have become so accustomed to seeing of mass numbers of people in intolerable conditions.
The more concentrated focus on individuals really brings home the sanctity of each human life. After seeing these portraits, the figures of how many lives, just like these, have been affected by European maltreatment of refugees feels especially devastating. It should not take photographs for us to address such a gross abuse of human rights against those who come to Europe seeking safety. Unfortunately, however, the voices of those in Moria 2.0 and other refugees all over Europe continue to go unheard. Yousif is tirelessly trying to address this problem in the best way he can.
I asked Yousif which of his pictures is his personal favourite, which one he feels an especial connection to. He told me the picture below is his favourite which he took for a series he is working on for National Geographic called 1,000 dreams. In the end, the photo is not to be included in the final series, but it remains a piece he is proud of and it is easy to see why. The intimacy of the two hands, barely touching, but united conveys a message of support and love. The lady’s expression is concealed, the only hint a peep of her eyes which could or could not be creased in a smile. Yet, even this, in a literal sense, faceless image is not devoid of personality, of character.
Yousif first started taking pictures in his homeland, Iraq, but when he arrived in Lesbos he initially found it quite difficult to obtain a camera. As soon as he was able to afford one, he started taking pictures every day of the people around him. His desire to be a photographer was a direct response to what he was witnessing around him and his belief that it needed to be shared with the world. His most recent attempt to do this is his campaign to start a worldwide poster demonstration. He has turned some of his most moving photographs into posters, featuring statistics about life in Moria 2.0. These are available for free download through a link in his Instagram bio, which he hopes people will print and then distribute throughout their cities.
In Liverpool, the Open Eye Gallery is soon to open an official exhibition of these images, but Yousif hopes that anyone and everyone will exhibit them in collective action against the government’s horrendous treatment of refugees. He is positive that letting people know about the conditions in the camp will inspire people to help. Whilst the issues in Moria 2.0 have been reported on by Western newspapers, according to Yousif, journalists are given a quick, sweeping tour of the camp. They don’t take the time to get to know those who live there or ask their opinions. The details of everyday life are not witnessed. Yousif can offer an inside look and is determined to open that view up for everyone to see. One example of an issue that he believes is overlooked is the condition of the LGBT+ refugee community. “They are facing the same conditions they were suffering in their home country,” he says. To flee their home countries in order to escape persecution because of their sexuality, only to face another form of homophobia in Lesbos must be devastating. Their need for anonymity means that the issue is overlooked.
“People from the LGBT community don’t want to be in front of the camera,” says Yousif. “They don’t want to speak about their condition because they are scared of someone identifying their faces from the countries they have left. They are still hiding.”
The most striking thing about Yousif’s photos is the amount of smiles and laughter. A photograph that particularly stands out is one of three boys grinning in the rain, holding a torn foil sheet over their heads, striding boldly along. The caption for the photo relates how the boys were urged to take proper shelter from the rain in case they got sick. The caption reads that they replied, ‘Don’t worry, we will not get sick. We came by sea when the sky was raining. Let’s have some fun now under that rain.’ Another depicts a girl hanging upside down from a rope, her smile full of mischief. Such playfulness outshines but does not obscure the rubbish scattered across the gravel around her or the flimsy tents standing in the background. Her joy is powerful, resilient, but makes the neglect of her and others like her seem even more shameful. The common theme is pain but not despair. It is hope, determination. I ask Yousif what brings him hope, what brings him joy.
“When I put my eye behind the camera and just start to speak with people. When I see they’re happy and they find someone real who wants to hear their story or to ask them for their opinions, this is the thing that brings me joy.”
I reflect on the gap that would have been left if Yousif was not able to get a camera. These photographs would not exist and we would have to rely on the biased lens of the Western reporter. His camera gave Yousif the chance to showcase not just his talent but the incredible people all around him. This chance is what he wants for every other refugee.
“We are just normal humans just like you who have the chance to continue our life as before the war, to start a new life. We have the same dreams, the same ambitions. We just need a chance, one chance to get there, one chance to feel human again.”
At the moment, Yousif has had to leave Moria 2.0 because of death threats. He was threatened by someone from an NGO after he exposed the organisation for not utilising their funds to improve the conditions in Moria 2.0 as they were supposed to. He accused them of making the conditions worse instead of better and questioned where all the money was going. For his own safety, he cannot reveal the name of the organisation while he is still in Greece. He vows however to share their name everywhere if and when he is granted citizenship in a safer country. That won’t be the end of his photojournalism however. He plans to travel to Sudan and work on a project for National Geographic. I hope he continues to gift the world with his work so that the human stories at the heart of geopolitical issues continue to be shared. In the meantime, he says he will not rest until Moria 2.0 is closed. To join the campaign, you can find Yousif’s posters here: Posters - English - Google Drive or follow him on Instagram: @yousif_alshewaili