Represented in this section is photography produced by Saharawis who have participated in workshops in the camps and projects undertaken by photographers engaging with the Western Sahara in their work. As part of Sandblast’s efforts to empower the Saharawi to tell their own stories we have aimed an aspect of our art capacity-building workshops to developing and strengthening their skills and talents in photography.

Sandblast and Photography

Sandblast’s collaboration with the Sora project, led by Kyna Gourley and Ruby Russell, produced an exciting body of photo essays by a small group of participants in Smara in 2005 and 2006. For at least two of them, Hajetna Deidi and Omar Dih, this experience launched their aspirations to master the craft and even extend it to filmmaking.. Also represented here, is the the Sabbia Negli Occhi project, led by an Italian photo cooperative. The Saharawis who were involved, from the Al-Auin camp, produced some stunning black and white images, expressing keen aesthetic sensitivities that convey their experiences and reality.

The ‘outside’ photographers featured here reflect a broad range of approaches, styles and use of camera technologies (pinhole, digital, large format, Holga, Polaroid etc). They all contribute to highlighting a fascinating variety of themes, moods and dimensions of the Saharawi reality.

The rise of the image

Creative expression through photography is a relatively new phenomenon in Saharawi society. Prior to exile, photography was barely seen or appreciated as an art form. There is evidence, however, that having portraits done in photo studios was popular among Saharawis living in the urban centres during the Spanish colonial era in Western Sahara.
In exile, photography has become very popular among the younger generation who have primarily grown up in the refugee camps. Many of them have studied for long periods abroad in countries such as Cuba and Algeria and have come back with a strong interest in the visual medium.

OUTSIDE

Susana Espana - Boys

Susana España Amed was born in Spain in 1975. She graduated in Science (BSc, Hons) at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid in 1999. Although self-taught since an early age,  after pursuing studies in Arts Restoration she decided to take a Masters in Photography in EFTI  (Madrid, 2003-2004), where she started developing her body of work ‘With my Own Presence’.

She has taken part in different workshops in U.K and Turkey, and during the last few years she has exhibited in Madrid, London and Turkey. She recently completed an MA in Photography at London College of Communication (University of the Arts, London).

INSIDE

Women in Smara camp next to her house destroyed in floods by Hajetna Deide

Hajetna Deidi was born in the refugee camps. She felt a deep passion for photography from an early age and was able to attend a few years of audio visual training for videography in Algieria. In 2006 she participated in the SORA project and produced two powerful bodies of documentary work about the February flash floods in the camps which destroyed 50% of the buildings and the reunion of Saharawi family members who had not seen eachother in 30 years. She was one of the visual artists to participate in the 2007 Sandblast festival.