Exercise - Hasan and Husain Essop - Figures and Fictions

HASAN AND HUSAIN ESSOP - FIGURES AND FICTIONS 

Hasan and Husain's images can be seen.. here..

Watch the video at the link below..

http://www.vam.ac.uk/channel/people/photography/figures_and_fictions_hasan_and_husain_essop/

Hasan and Husain are twin brothers and they live in Cape Town, South Africa.  They are both artist and Photographers, although you wont find any pictures in their parents home.  The islamic law forbids
them to have pictures of other people or to display them.  The way they got round this was to use themselves as the models.

The images are about themselves and other young people who are interested in the pop culture and media, but also they still have to stick to their strict islamic religion. Its an East meets West conflict.

They think together about ideas then act them out taking up all the positions and making the required photo.  Its the muslim islamic life in Cape Town.  They go to the location armed with cameras, tripod, etc .. and start with a series of test shots then working through to the final. They work well together managing to produce the image they were both thinking of.

You really get a feel for these photographs of the strong islamic religion which the young people adhere to but they are bursting to be like the west and enjoy the same things.

They twins are very religious but can see the changes and the wonder what the next generations will be like, whether the religion will stay as strong.

I really like the way they have improvised and used themselves in all the pictures, they didn't see that as a problem - I probably wouldn't even have thought of that.