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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Photographer Murat Yazar says he has united Kurds, if only on paper, in his new book of black and white photography.
“I took the four parts of [greater] Kurdistan and brought them together in a single book,” the Kurdish photographer told Rudaw English on Tuesday, referring to Kurdish-majority areas in southeastern Turkey (Bakur), northeastern Syria (Rojava), western Iran (Rojhilat) and northern Iraq (Kurdistan Region or Bashur). “I wanted to show Kurdistan and our life to the world in photographs.”
Yazar’s book ‘Shadows of Kurdistan’ - which he describes as “a photographic research of a cultural identity” - was published in July. The book received a silver award from the 2020 PX3 Prix de la Photographie, a European photography prize, this summer.
-h.jpg "Shepherds care for village sheep in the mountains, and prepare for winter in Doğubeyazıt, Turkey 2016. Photo: Murat Yazar")
When asked why he only takes black and white photographs, Yazar says that he does not want to distract from his message.
“When I take photos, I don't like the colors to steal the eye’s attention. I want people to look at my photos and see or feel directly what I want to show in my photos,” said the artist via Whatsapp. “I remove colors from my photos to allow people to see the feelings or stories in a simple way.”
Born in Turkey’s southern province of Sanliurfa in 1978, Yazar left Turkey for Italy in late 2016 when a failed coup attempt was followed by a government crackdown on dissidents, many of them Kurdish activists, journalists and politicians.
“Turkey has changed a lot in the past five, six years in a negative way,” said the photographer, noting that the situation for Kurds has worsened since his departure. “I couldn't breathe in Turkey, so I decided to live in another country.”
.jpg "From an ancient bridge in Zakho, Iraq, teens leap 16 meters down to the Khabur River in 2019. Photo: Murat Yazar")
The international photographer has held exhibitions in France and Spain, and received a number of awards for his work.
“When I hold an exhibition or presentation in foreign countries, I always introduce myself as a Kurdish photographer because I believe we need to show our identity and culture to other people through art so that Kurdish culture and art can develop and be well recognized in other countries,” he added.
Yazar has travelled far and wide for his art - having taken photographs in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Italy, Armenia and Balkans. However, he says he does not rely on photography to make ends meet.
“It is surely not for money. I do earn money from photography, but photography is not a thing you do for money.”
“I took the four parts of [greater] Kurdistan and brought them together in a single book,” the Kurdish photographer told Rudaw English on Tuesday, referring to Kurdish-majority areas in southeastern Turkey (Bakur), northeastern Syria (Rojava), western Iran (Rojhilat) and northern Iraq (Kurdistan Region or Bashur). “I wanted to show Kurdistan and our life to the world in photographs.”
Yazar’s book ‘Shadows of Kurdistan’ - which he describes as “a photographic research of a cultural identity” - was published in July. The book received a silver award from the 2020 PX3 Prix de la Photographie, a European photography prize, this summer.
When asked why he only takes black and white photographs, Yazar says that he does not want to distract from his message.
“When I take photos, I don't like the colors to steal the eye’s attention. I want people to look at my photos and see or feel directly what I want to show in my photos,” said the artist via Whatsapp. “I remove colors from my photos to allow people to see the feelings or stories in a simple way.”
Born in Turkey’s southern province of Sanliurfa in 1978, Yazar left Turkey for Italy in late 2016 when a failed coup attempt was followed by a government crackdown on dissidents, many of them Kurdish activists, journalists and politicians.
“Turkey has changed a lot in the past five, six years in a negative way,” said the photographer, noting that the situation for Kurds has worsened since his departure. “I couldn't breathe in Turkey, so I decided to live in another country.”
The international photographer has held exhibitions in France and Spain, and received a number of awards for his work.
“When I hold an exhibition or presentation in foreign countries, I always introduce myself as a Kurdish photographer because I believe we need to show our identity and culture to other people through art so that Kurdish culture and art can develop and be well recognized in other countries,” he added.
Yazar has travelled far and wide for his art - having taken photographs in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Italy, Armenia and Balkans. However, he says he does not rely on photography to make ends meet.
“It is surely not for money. I do earn money from photography, but photography is not a thing you do for money.”
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