A wrinkled man weaves a basket from palm leaves at a heritage festival in Saudi Arabia, his peering eyes and nimble fingers captured in a picture for National Geographic’s annual competition this year.
This image is among 31 such photographs that portray the craft of skilled weavers, lantern-makers and glass-blowers – who were once the mainstay of the region’s trading industry – in the Moments exhibition that is on display this Eid at The Galleria on Al Maryah Island from today until October 7.
A story of faces and Arabic crafts
This year, National Geographic Abu Dhabi, an Abu Dhabi Media partner, and Almarai encouraged photographers in the GCC, North Africa and Levant region to unearth hidden stories of heritage for the Moments Awards, which offered prizes including a trip to Spain and Portugal and US$10,000 (Dh36,729) worth of photography equipment.
The competition, in its fourth year, challenged photographers to feature the rich culture in the Arab world and explore a novel perspective on portraying heritage.
“There is so much traditional craftsmanship that exists around the region,” says Marlain Daniel, the director of branded content and special projects at National Geographic. “There is so much life out there that people don’t normally know about. So we thought bringing that to the fore would make the competition a lot more interesting. It also enhances the knowledge of the viewer about the culture of these countries.”
Original article by Afshan Ahmed
Continue reading at The National:
National Geographic exhibition showcases the hidden stories of heritage of the Arab world
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