Saudi Arabia through the lens of western photographers

1454808_10153004032804059_6938729026159098068_n — Photo credit

So the saying goes: “A picture speaks a thousand words”. Yet, it is also true that a picture may even have a message that goes well beyond words alone. Capturing the mesmerizing, colorful and picturesque landscape of Saudi Arabia, Italian and American photojournalists, Roberta Fedele and Miki Turner have held a four-day photo exhibition at the Kondakji Atelier art gallery in Jeddah to demonstrate these characteristics powerfully.

Roberta Fedele, who spent almost eight years in Saudi Arabia, and Miki Turner, who recently visited the country for the first time, combined their spontaneous impressions of this colorful land to create the incredible exhibition, entitled “4 Eyes, 2 Lenses: Visual Narratives of Saudi Arabia”.

Demonstrating art in action, the photographers come from two different cultural backgrounds, yet share the same passion for celebrating spur-of-the-moment images, with a strong sense of narrative. The pictures have indeed, grabbed the attention of hundreds of visitors, giving them an impulse to further browse these amazing Saudi attractions in real life.
Roberta Fedele, founder of AMUSE – a cultural association promoting arts and intercultural dialogue – organized this photographic exhibition as a tribute to Saudi Arabia, a country that she perceives today as her second home. She showcased a selection of 25 photographs taken for Saudi dailies between Najran, Madain Saleh and Jeddah; areas that abound in historical and archeological sites, desert oasis, volcanic areas, traditional souks and Bedouin settlements, while preserving the flavors of the past on the backdrop of Saudi Arabia’s fantastic modernization.

“As I am about to leave soon, I wanted to bid a good farewell to the country, and to leave behind a lasting impression of my memories in Saudi Arabia using a visual means. I believe that images are often more eloquent than words in narrating the societies we live in,” said Fedele.

Original article by Afshan Aziz

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Saudi Arabia through the lens of western photographers