A Yemen native, Boushra Almutawakel discovered her passion for photography stateside in Washington, D.C. Although her website notes that she obtained a BSBA in international business at the American University, she ultimately pursued photography as a full-time career. Her background in business was not completely abandoned, though, as she went on to establish an internationally linked group of artists. Almutawakel also worked for the Yemen Embassy in Washington in 2003, as a consultant on cultural affairs. Almutawakel’s experience living in two vastly different cultures and countries lent a hand in one of her recent projects.
It’s not uncommon to see veiled Muslim women here on the New York City streets, especially in ethnic enclaves such as the one in which the Yemen Cafe is situated. Almutawakel explores the different perspectives that people have of these women’s veils in her “Hijab/Veil” photo series. According to Almutawakel’s International Museum of Women page, her goal for the project is “to challenge and look at both Western and Middle Eastern Stereotypes, fears, and ideas regarding the veil.” “Hijab/Veil” features everything from Barbie dolls put in various social situations (i.e., amidst a group of black-veiled dolls), real veiled women who slowly disappear into darkness by covering themselves with darker clothing (see below), and women dressed up as Muslim men of different ranks. The photographs allow their viewer to reflect upon the social implications of the hijab, and perhaps moreso how the hijab is seen in a progressive, American city like New York.
-Almutawakel, Boushra. “The Hijab / Veil Series.” IMOW Muslima. International Museum of Women, n.d. Web. 12 May 2014. <http://muslima.imow.org/content/hijab-veil-series>
-http://boushraphoto.com/about.html