Yasser Alwan photographed in and around Cairo, recording encounters with people in the streets, at the racetrack, in cafes, and in places of work—tanneries, quarries, bookshops, or potteries. His portraits of workers living in conditions of unimaginable poverty and political dispossession are remarkable for their refusal of the clichés of social documentary and photojournalism. They show people between anger, pride, and perseverance, yet convey a sense of trust toward the photographer. Complementary to his intimate images of friends and family form a collective portrait of the middle class seen in the relaxed informalities of daily life. This collection of Alwan’s photographs offers an unprecedented and unique picture of Egyptian society, introducing an outstanding body of work in contemporary photography from the Arab world.

YASSER ALWAN (*1964, Lagos – 2022, Cairo) was born in Nigeria to Iraqi parents. He studied and worked in Lebanon, Iraq, the United States, Sudan, and Jordan before moving to Egypt in 1993. He taught photography at various institutions, including the German University in Cairo. His photographs have been exhibited internationally.