French-Moroccan
artist Leila
Alaoui has always been fascinated by the rich
ethnic and cultural diversity of her native country. Inspired by the aesthetic
and approach of Robert Frank’s The
Americans and Richard Avedon’s In
the American West, she started traveling through Morocco with her
portable portrait studio, documenting the people she met along the way. Her
ongoing project, “The Moroccans,” is a celebration of her countrymen and
heritage.
Alaoui’s
project is complicated by the fact that Moroccans are particularly apprehensive
about being photographed. “Most Moroccans grow up hearing stories of witchcraft
and are often afraid of the ‘evil eye.’ It is commonly believed that one can
throw a spell at someone by using his or her photograph,” Alaoui said via
email. “Moroccans are also tired of being photographed by Westerners as
‘exotic’ subjects and have grown to react aggressively towards anyone who wants
to photograph them without permission.”
All
images © Leila
Alaoui
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