Capturing Lebanon's Transformation through Explosions and Elegance
Capturing Lebanon's turbulent decade, Myriam Boulos' captivating debut photobook juxtaposes explosive moments with vibrant celebrations, skillfully blending artistry and daring to present a country in constant flux
Lebanese photographer Myriam Boulos expressed her state of emotional turmoil following the explosion in Beirut on August 20, 2020, likening herself to a constantly overflowing glass of water. The devastating blast, caused by the ignition of stored ammonium nitrate, resulted in over 200 deaths and 6,000 injuries. Turning to her camera as a means of coping, Boulos captures a decade of upheaval in Lebanon in her first photobook, "Whats Ours," covering the period from 2013 to 2023, marked by corruption, economic crisis, and social conflicts. This tumultuous period culminated in the 17 October Revolution, when Lebanese citizens took to the streets in protest.
Boulos captures the tumultuous protests, clashes with riot police, and fires in his photographs and journal entries in the book. However, he also delves into the vibrant and energetic subcultures of Lebanon and the passionate movement for change. "Before October 2019, I felt like we were in a dead end. Everything was silenced, oppressed, and normalized," said Boulos, who is based in Beirut, in an email interview. "The start of the revolution was a collective awakening."
Sex and danger often combine in Boulos' compositions.
Myriam Boulos
"Our Possession" is a powerful statement that focuses on the battle for inherent human rights: the freedom of one's body and speech. Boulos, a new addition to the esteemed Magnum Photos collective in 2021, captures the essence of this struggle in captivating visual representations: from tear gas engulfing city parks, to a woman standing in the shattered window of her apartment. Boulos' photography features soldiers, firefighters, protestors, as well as the vibrant Lebanese flora and butterflies.
The obscure artist from the 1920s who concealed symbols of sapphic love in her paintings
Balancing art with risk
She is also a contradiction: a quiet person with a knack for causing change. "I can easily spend months in my room, in my own world, and struggle to engage with the real world, so photography is the ideal medium for me," she explained. She shared that people, sounds, lights, and smells can be overwhelming for her. "Photography allows me to express my thoughts and organize my mind."
Boulos, born in Beirut in 1992, had dreams of becoming an illustrator like her mother or a musician during her childhood. It wasn't until her mid-teens that her interest in photography developed. "I met a girl at school who became one of my closest friends, she had this sophisticated camera and I fell in love with the medium," she said. Boulos' photographs have since been featured in Time, Vanity Fair, and Vogue magazines.
Her work uses textures to create tactile compositions.
Myriam Boulos
She explores the intersection of sex and danger in her work, stating "I think that sexuality is still taboo in the entire world, and any sexuality that is not heteronormative is oppressed in the entire world too," Boulos said. Despite Lebanon's relative liberalism for an Arab country, homosexuality remains illegal. Members of its queer community navigate a precarious balance of acceptance, often featured in Boulos's powerful images. For example, the cover of "Whats Ours" displays two women kissing, captured in a tight frame with closed eyes, completely focused on each other. Another image features two naked men embracing on a foggy mountainside, illuminated by a stunning purple night sky. Boulos describes these images of couples as "collaborations" and emphasizes the importance of consent in her work.
The abandoned dream of an 80s theme park
However, these images also carry potential dangers. Boulos explains, "Due to the campaigns and attacks on LGBTQ+ communities in Lebanon in 2023, we have decided not to distribute the book in Lebanon to avoid putting anyone in danger."
Her images are also abrasive in other ways, incorporating textures like shattered glass, cracked concrete, and bandages to create tactile compositions. Boulos also utilizes a palette that is often shocking and sometimes accentuated, with scenes featuring blood and tattoos coloring a man's torso, lipstick leaving scars on a woman's face, and a rescue worker in a reflective vest praying amongst the rubble.
Boulos says she tries to find beauty in the chaos. "It is important for me to look for tenderness... It is a coping mechanism," she said.
Myriam Boulos
She sees beauty in the midst of chaos. "It's important for me to seek out moments of tenderness," Boulos stated. "I see it as a way to cope, a way to fight back and hold onto hope and wonder." In a gentle image, a small yellow flower rests in the delicate palm of her grandmother's hand.
Amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, she acknowledged that finding such hopeful moments is challenging. "(It) has led me to question everything, including my approach as a documentarian. I've come to realize that one of my roles in representing Lebanon and the region is to humanize us through individual stories. While I naturally gravitate towards documenting personal experiences, I'm tired of having to prove to the world that we, as Arabs, are also human beings."
"Whats Ours" presents extracts from Boulos journals and snippets of conversations, along with a quote from Lebanons national poet Mahmoud Darwish: "And we dont dream of more than a life like life itself." Instead of didactic captions, the exhibition offers a glimpse into Boulos' thoughts and beliefs. Does she, as the shy revolutionary, believe in profound societal change? "Hope is not one of the notions I think about in my life," she observed, emphasizing her focus on resistance and liberation in both intimacy and politics.
Myriam Boulos: "Whats Ours" is published by Aperture.
