Art and Photography binds well and expresses numerous emotions through the works of Zewar Fadhil. Meet a very talented Fine-art Photographer from Iraq, who rejoices and speaks within to produce some of the strongest works of art within photography. One of the strongest portfolios, We have come across in recent times. Listen to his words as he slowly speaks about his inner voice, his inspirations, visualizations and much more about his strong emotional factors which is dominant in these photographs. As we start to flow through these photographs, We are transported to an ultra serene world just above perceptions and constant drill of this urban world.
Obviously, I had some interesting questions as an admirer of Zewar’s works. Let us get to hear more from the photographer himself..
How did you choose photography as a medium to express yourself?
It’s never been solely about photography. My relationship with art began when I was rather young. My grandmother had a pretty decent sized library with philosophy books, world and travel magazines, art journals. For years I would spend every day after school in her library. Exposing myself to these foreign ideas and places kind of became the stepping stones to falling in love with art. I slowly began to realize that I could give my ideas/stories/messages a solid voice through art. I think the moment when this finally dawned on me as reality was after I sketched out a small portrait of Alexander Pushkin.
What kind of person is Zewar Fadhil, are your photographs the exact reflection of the inner you?
There is no real need to try to explain who I am. My work is a reflection of my past, and my current state of mind. All one has to do is view my work to understand who I am and where I am lost.
Your photographs are artsy and poetic, describing every bit of an emotion, what goes on your mind & how do you achieve this?
As far as the idea or emotion that goes into one of the pieces, there is no real method to it. It usually starts with a memory of something painful, or just the remnants of depression sneaking up. I really need to have that pain in order to create something deep. On certain occasions the base inspiration can come from any source; a poem I’ve read, a song, a film. I visualize everything, mentally sketch it out and finish it in my head, and keep it with me until I’m able to execute my idea.
There is this peculiar mood and a gloomy silence to your pictures. Few words on it?
My work holds a very deep and personal meaning. There has to be an intense emotional and psychological impact, that air of gloom helps carry it home. If there was no mood or feeling to my work, it just wouldn’t hold the same message.
Looking at your pictures, it often takes us to a level close to meditation, there is this slow journey of an entity within every picture. Would you like to describe please?
I’m a rather detached person, always in my own mind and daydreaming about something or other, lost in imagining. I’d like to think I’m a storyteller just as much as a photographer. One who is driven by my own experiences and episodes with pain, leaving behind tangible evidence that those stories existed.
What drove you to develop this unique style of art. How did you discover it and mold yourself to what you are today?
There really is nothing terribly unique about my work. The only thing that makes my work differ from others is the perspective. My work comes from a very honest, vulnerable and wounded place that makes it relatable.
For Zewar, when does a photograph take the art stature?
There are two style that steal me away, conceptual and artistic. For conceptual there has be a brilliant and strong balance between the idea and execution. For art there has to be a delicate strength, a vulnerability that has a hidden power.
Do you shoot film, there is an incredible drama of monochrome with your pictures. few words please?
I’m practicing with a few old analog Russian cameras using B&W square film. In the future I plan on setting up a professional dark room for developing and printing artistic photography. I’ve found that monochrome just adds more dimension and passion to certain styles of photography, that’s why I chose it.
Your Inspiration?
Existentialism philosophy. Many great philosophers, such as Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre and Friedrich Nietzsche. The Greek writer Sophocles. Also my individual experiences with pain, melancholy, solitude and a feeling of desperation.
Some words of advice for aspiring photographers?
There is no specific piece of advice that I can really give. You have to be a witness to the world around you, go out every day and take photos. You might think every single photo is horrible when you get home and look through them, but that’s not a reason to feel down because it’s part of the learning experience. Each step that you take is leading you to discover what style of work you want to do and what message you want to convey, and eventually you will find yourself in the middle of the road exactly where you want to be. Aside from putting a great deal of practice into shooting and editing, you need a deep love for photography in general, if you’re lacking that passion for it you won’t be able to capture what your heart sees.
Thanks again for this Great Interview with 121clicks, any final thoughts for our readers?
My most sincere thanks to you as well. I’ll leave everyone with one simple quote.
“Whoever neglects the arts when he is young has lost the past and is dead to the future.” – Sophocles
Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted to Zewar Fadhil. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.
