In a matter of hours, my life took a turn into a reality I had never imagined could be possible. I remember vividly the sounds of planes buzzing overhead, the uninterrupted anti aircraft fires that were quickly followed by harrowing air strikes and the massive explosions that rocked our homes and shook the peace within us.
Just like many of my friends we turned into journalists too. We were documenting everything around us. I felt an overwhelming responsibility to take part in voicing out the situation in Yemen as it happened and as I experienced it. I chose to focus more on the human experience and worked on projects that express and photograph how life in Yemen was changing around us and how in spite of that change there were still some things that stayed the same even during the war.
Before the war broke out, Bushra and I had already started working creatively together, but it was during the war that Bushra and I got closer. We both decided that we weren’t going to let the war take us down with it. Bushra is an exceptionally talented artist, a feminist at heart and an incredible inspiration to women of our time, especially women in Yemen. In Yemen, we are very much hindered by society, both men and women face many challenges.
Bushra has faced numerous threats and received many hate messages from her family, friends and from society. It is her kind of bravery and strength that have the power to revolutionize the way we perceive ourselves; that provoke our thoughts and make us question why not.
I wanted to bring this forward for everyone to see a different side of Yemen, that despite the hardship that color our lives it is often met with incredible optimism, resilience and strength to challenge and innovate. More importantly, I wanted this to stand as a mirror for the Yemeni society to see itself by."
