Sahar al-Sawaf
Artist Statement:
“In my series of photographs, I delve into the theme of agency through the intimate and powerful moments of Muslim women in prayer. As a female Muslim filmmaker and visual artist, I found myself in the first row of the prayer line-up, capturing the serene yet profound gathering of men, women and children for the Eid al-Adha prayers in Beaverton, Oregon in June of 2024. To my surprise, we prayed outside, our foreheads touching the damp earth, blessing it with our faith. Through my lens, I unveil the personal and spiritual agency where each woman, in her own unique way, engages in a deeply intentional act of devotion. These moments, preserved before the start of prayer, connect us to our inner selves, our community, and our beliefs, highlighting the transformative power of spiritual practice. By sharing these intimate glimpses, I aim to shatter stereotypes, foster cultural understanding, and invite viewers to ponder the intricate dance between agency and change. Capturing these moments right across from the Nike headquarters adds a surreal layer, showcasing a vibrant slice of the Muslim community in the suburbs. These images feel as if I’ve stepped through a portal in time, wandering through the rich, untamed history of Oregon’s wild woods.”
Artist Bio:
“Sahar al-Sawaf (she/her) is an Oregon based Iraqi filmmaker, animator, visual artist and storyteller who was born in Saudi Arabia, grew up in Lebanon and Iraq, then escaped to California as a child, days before the Gulf War. Working in documentary and animation, she has traveled extensively throughout the Middle East with her sketchbook and camera in hand, chronicling the plight of refugees who have fled. Her animated documentary short films, Uncle Ma'an, Um Abdullah, and Shadow of Paradise have screened at DOC NYC, Chicago International Film Festival, Animafest Zagreb, Aesthetica Short Film, Tricky Women/Tricky Realities in Austria and The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences. She was a 2018 Creative Culture Fellow at the Jacob Burns Film Center in New York and in 2021 she received a New York State Council for the Arts/New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Video/Film.
Sahar studied painting and graphic design at the University of California, Davis and was a Jules Engel Endowed Scholar in Experimental Animation at the California Institute of the Arts, where she graduated with her MFA in Film/Video. She has been a part of academic environments in Southern California, British Columbia, New York and Connecticut, teaching and producing various aspects of film production, mentoring and inspiring students to pursue their own voices through the creative exploration of cinema. Currently, she is being supported by Women In Animation (WIA) and working with world-renowned animation film producer Manuel Cristóbal (Girl and Wolf, The Glassworker, Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles) to bring Last Girl in Babylon, a feature animated film about a young girl lost in wartime, to the screen.”