The Rising Sun
Words & Photography by Reem N. Amin
“بغداد جنة بعيوني انا”
Baghdad is paradise in my eyes.
I am Iraqi - and I have yet to stand on the fertile ground of my country. I have only heard of the beauty in standing on my grandmas idyllic vine-covered balcony, overlooking a sea of date trees while breathing in the gentle diffusion of cardamom tea boiling on the stove and the intense cloud of smog pollution falling on Baghdad city.
While I have always felt comfortable experimenting thematic photography in the realm of gore and cinematic horror, I have yet to face the daunting reality of those horrors in the lives of Iraqi people other than through expression in art. I frame the intention of my work as a plethora of surreal and polished worlds, I like to utilise the concept of escapism in a way that challenges norms by creating another universe, exploring the spectrum of instability through fictional characters.
My experiences in the West Asian realm undoubtably birthed my infatuation with the ancient civilisations of that region - The Mesopotamian region was of particular interest to me because they strongly did not believe in life after death; and once I began the discussion of how best to capture this through photography with Riyam Salim, my dearest friend, ‘The Rising Sun’ came to life.
We spoke about the many literary texts, one of which was the Epic of Gilgamesh, contemplating the meaning of death. Riyam had recommended me to look further into Ishtar’s Descent to the Netherworld and somehow I found myself diving further in the Mesopotamian afterlife beliefs, I came to uncover more interesting texts including cultic commentaries, burials, references to death in royal inscriptions, omens, and so much more. I knew Riyam would be the perfect muse for this photo story, not only because she’s an Iraqi woman but also she’s extremely passionate in highlighting Mesopotamian history.
This body of work is deliberate and meaningful. The headdress is designed by Rayya Salim. Rayya’s hand made design is inspired by Queen Puabi. The crown consists of gold leaves, gold ribbons and carnelian beads which symbolises royalty. Her upper body was covered in strings of precious metals and stones stretching from her neck to her waist and her fingers were decorated with rings. Puabi was a woman of high status but there had been a lot of speculation on the subject for the last 100 years of whether she was in fact a queen. I was inspired by her aesthetic, I wanted to learn more. Unfortunately research presented very little about her, so it was difficult to imagine who she was. People know of her name only because she was buried with three cylinder seals pinned to her robe. The seals were used for personal identification. It included her name and her title. It was unusual to be buried with three cylinder seals, as only one would suffice. Puabi had a particular reason for including all three. It was her way of saying “This is who I am”.
This is who I am; I directed all my pride and passion in my culture and ethnicity into this project. The oasis in a drought, the rays of the rising sun against pink skies. This is us presenting gold. There is a plethora of history to learn about Iraq; Mesopotamia is the birthplace for many of the world’s inventions, one of which, the most important is writing. In Arabic, ‘Iraq’ means ‘deeply rooted, well-watered and fertile’. This has existed before the sixth century. The Islamic traditions indicate that Noah’s Ark was built in the Iraqi city of Kufa. Heartbreakingly, we don’t hear these stories.
حيّيتُ سفحَكِ عن بُعــــدٍ فحيـِّيني
يا دجلةَ الخيرِ يا امَّ البســــــاتينِ
“Yadjla Al-Khair” written by the Iraqi poet, Muhammad Al-Mahdi Al-Jawahirir.
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This shoot was important for me because this, in a way, is me connecting to my roots despite not having been to Iraq it’s also a reminder to acknowledge just how deeply rooted our history is, how diverse the civilisations have been that have called that region their home.
I wanted to give a piece of me through expression in art form. This photo-story is available as prints, once purchased 40% profit will be donated to the homeless and orphan Iraqi children organisation with Global Giving. I dedicate ‘The Rising Sun’ to Iraqi women, men and children in hopes of encouraging pride, in hopes of resonating with the strength and resilience. I want this to be viewed as a reminder that we are more, we are earth, that we are The Rising Sun.
You can follow Reem and explore more of her work here