honorable mention
Tamara Saade lebanon
title
Shedding Skin
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entry description
Most of Lebanon’s coast is privatized. Only a few cracks remain accessible to the public. And even those aren’t available to everyone: they mostly welcome men. I was always fascinated by those men, who could enjoy hanging around each other, practically naked, in the middle of the city. The first time I went to this beach, I felt intimidated. As the only woman there, I felt all eyes on me. But I was the one fully dressed, with a camera, photographing those men lounging around in their speedos, why would I be the one feeling uncomfortable? The men are getting younger by the sea. They come in all their glory, showing their bodies, their muscles, their presence, their intoxicating manly confidence . Some women come, scarcely. Zigzagging between men shaving their torsos, and oiling each other up. Where do women fit, in this resistance ? Through this project, I’m trying to turn the lens, photographing those exhibitionist men, as a young woman. The male gaze, the female gaze, the muses… throughout history there’s always been a tango of power in the dynamics of posing and shooting. Maybe it’s time to shake things up a bit. As long as those men tan by the sea, I’ll always have a part of my anchor, of my Beirut around. But like those old, the city’s shedding its skin, letting layers of itself fall behind. And my old tanning men aren’t getting any younger. I can’t stop time, all I can hope to do is keep a part of it immortalized in a photograph.about the photographer
Born and raised in Lebanon, Tamara Saade is a journalist and photographer now based in Beirut. She mainly covers Lebanon's ever-changing political landscape, focusing on human rights, from women and gender inequality issues, to the discrimination refugees and minorities faced in the country. Through photography, writing, videography, and social media coverage, she has expanded her coverage of human rights to the US, after living in New York for two years. She has bylines in Vice International, Al-Jazeera, the BBC, the Delacorte Review, amongst others. You can follow her work on Instagram (@tamarasaade_) and Twitter (@tamara_saade_).back to gallery