Life Goes On….
The news is right in front of you, but if you just turn around, you will witness a totally different scene… (Muhammed Muheisen) For more than a decade of moving around to capture events taking place in countries shattered by wars, or hit by natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, surprising scenes full of life always made their way in front of my camera, adding new colors to the predictable story, as well as a reminder that in the heart of the those conflicted regions life is the most sacred thing, everyday is a new day and yesterday is left behind with all it’s advantages and disadvantages. Myself being born and raised in a region well known by the conflict, survival is the first lesson to be learned as you start making differences between black and white, adapting with tragedies, moving on and looking forward, believing that next to death there is a life, and next to a tear there is a smile. Covering Pakistan for the last three years, a country that has been rocked by hundreds of attacks on civilians, from roadside bombs to suicide bombings and target killings, attacks take place on an almost daily basis, as a result of terrorism, sectarian conflict, and a mix of political, religious and criminal violence, I witnessed that right next to those events happening there is a breathe holding tight into life. Having the patience and the love of documenting the daily life of people living in war zones, open your eyes and allow you to see things differently and deeply, as another side of life beyond the news, those scenes that we pass by everyday, a quiet scene or a dynamic scene bring joy, sadness and issues to be aware of such as refugees status, poverty, illiteracy, power shortage and lack of access to water…etc., but also it points out that even in the middle of the conflict life doesn't stop, it keeps going on. Here are slices of life captured in the midst of conflict, apparently shattered but still running towards the future.
