I don’t want to stick to photography in the conventional sense. I don’t want people to look at my photos, think it’s nice and it ends there. No, I want to be able to spread awareness and convey a message; I believe arts can play a significant role in that,” says Enas passionately. The Bahraini artist’s curated imagery remains etched in one’s mind long after you’ve seen it. Her impassioned approach to conceptual photography has encouraged conversation and action around topics including mental health, genocide, gender roles and disparities, body dysmorphia and women empowerment among others. “I believe arts as a medium can implement change as you can say so much with just one image,” she says. Despite the fact that Enas’s photographs having resonated with people across the region, and drawn the attention of BBC and CNN, she remains modest and recounts her journey to developing her photography. WHERE IT ALL STARTED After venturing on a solo trip through Europe in 2016, Enas shared pictures she had taken on the platform X, which was then known as Twitter. “I’m a very visual person, and so I ended up paying attention to little details including the day-to-day lives of people which I captured on my phone,” she explains. The appreciation and encouragement of viewers led Enas to create the Instagram account @solovagabond where you can now find her art. “I was then encouraged to get a camera, something I was initially very much against, but then I decided to go for it,” she says. “I bought the cheapest camera that I could find. I didn’t know anything about them or how to operate them so I opted for a beginner’s camera and just started clicking,” she adds. Her initial stint with a beginner’s camera paved the road for a much bigger vision – one with lots of routes for her creativity. “I’ve worked on developing my art through trial and error, and even YouTube videos. It’s been a learning curve, and I still don’t think of myself as a professional,” she says modestly. Bahraini artist, Enas Sistani, has been curating thought-provoking imagery addressing societal issues and current affairs. She tells Farah Baig about her journey as an artist and the objective leading her conceptual photography. Inspiring Change “ PEOPLE | interview Womanthismonth.com 80 February 2024
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk0MTkxMQ==