MADI ABDO ALI PHOTOGRAPHY

Dark Passion

Black and white photography is my favourite field, for I believe it allows me to capture the target in almost magic way and produce images that are strong, pure and without any unnecessary distractions. I want people to experience what I feel during my process of image creation and to have fun while viewing them.

When working on my black and white images I give particular attention to the sources of light, and contrast, so to be able to create very interesting images that could pull the eyes of the viewers. My works are mostly intended to realize some artistically bold and creative images with distinct characteristics.

When viewing many of my works one might note how the so-called theory of contraries, such as, for instance, light and dark, revealed and hidden, and so on, would seem characterising them. This might seem to have made possible the creation of some stark images that seem, at the same time, having profound mystery and subtlety, only felt by those equipped with high perceptive abilities.

My images are, as mentioned earlier, generally characterised by the juxtapositioning of darkness and light that gives shape to a world that is subtly mysterious, yet with a powerful physical presence. When showing a human face, I always try balancing the light, exposure and composition to create a distinctive body of work. Furthermore, I always try guiding the viewer’s attention so to focus on the small details that animate each image. A scene that is cloaked in darkness might be brought to life by a sharply rendered figure stepping into a shaft of light, or a human subject will be given context by the detailed depiction of surrounding objects or backgrounds.

When creating photographic images featuring female subjects I always endeavour to create artworks, often with mystery touch, likely to attract the viewers’ attentions and curiosities. I particularly enjoy visualising viewers looking at my works with some perplexities and perhaps formulating unspoken questions about my eventual intended messages. I like leaving the viewer to indulge into their fervid speculations.

When one looks at these images of mine one might rightly observe how the area brought into focus is always less than what is un-revealed. The reason of doing so is to maximise the interests and attention of the audience and make it wonder as to what the artist might have intended with these revealing/hiding patterns. One might also rightly note how only a minimum area of the subjects’ is revealed, thus leaving the greater part of the subjects shrouded in darkness, contrasted by the brightness of the worn jewelleries, which might be seen as contributing to the mysterious revealing/hiding patterns.

In accomplishing this piece I have been greatly inspired by the beauty of the Jewish jewellery traditions, which, as I understand, represent, not only ornamental and social status but also reflects spiritual and faith elements of Jewish tradition. For the Jews, such jewelleries carry great significances, as well as, the hope of bringing health, happiness, and spiritual wholeness. I also understand that these Jewish jewelleries may mostly come in some geometric forms that loaded with spiritual significances, combine culture and fashion.

After having being inspired by these Jewish jewellery traditions, I have then decided to come up with my own unique jewellery style, characterised, as indicated above, by light jewelleries, the brightness of which contrasts with the overwhelming darkness of the target. These jewelleries are also used so as to make un-revealed some areas of the target body and their dresses. My idea was to give each piece a unique style that is likely to make the viewer unsure as to how to decipher the mysterious codes embedded in the images.