Four Saudi women student photographers are participating in an exhibition, “Islam in the UK” organized by the British Council in Saudi Arabia. The exhibition of some of the photographers’ works will open on Sunday Feb. 20 at Al-Alamia Gallery for guests of the Jeddah Economic Forum, followed by an open exhibition that will close on Thursday Feb. 24. Admission is free. Another exhibtion will be held in the UK in the summer.

The British Council got in touch with Rania Abdul Razek, a photography teacher at Dar Al-Hekma College for Girls, in 2003 and asked her and three other Saudi women photographers — Danya Al-Saadi, Sondus Zaidan and Noha Al-Ghalib — to participate in an exhibition. Later in 2004, they asked her to involve some students in the project. “Out of the students who submitted portfolios, four were selected and two trips to the UK were arranged for them,” Rania explained. The first trip was for five days at the end of April and the second was for eight days earlier this month.

The four photography students — Areej Khan, Maisa Shaheen, Basmah Al-Yafi and Nour Attar — began studying photography with Rania three years ago. “They began with the basics of photography and continued learning skills and now each one has developed her own style,” said Rania. While in the UK, the students took pictures of mosques, Islamic centers, shops around London, Islamic schools and Muslim families in their homes. “It was inspiring. I was very lucky to have such an opportunity,” Basmah Al-Yafi told Arab News. She explained that the overall project was themed, ‘connecting students in Saudi Arabia and the UK, and that the photography project was only one part of the total.

“The basic idea of the overall program is to allow young people from around the world to communicate with each other about their lives and about the things that are important to them. This gives them the opportunity to challenge stereotypes and gaps in their knowledge of each others cultures and societies and finally to build mutual respect and understanding. The age group is 16-25,” said Peter Morrison of the British Council in Jeddah.

“We met a lot of people and attended some classes at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design where we presented some of our work and met other students,” said Basmah. The project brought her closer to a community she knew little about. “I didn’t expect such a huge Muslim community there. I was surprised by how connected they were,” said Basmah.

Maisa Shaheen agrees. “I always wondered how Muslims live there and it was very interesting for me to see. It was my first trip to the UK and I was amazed by the strength of their faith. We take practicing our faith for granted,” said Maisa. The people were kind and hospitable and invited them into their homes. Only a few of them did not wish to be photographed. For Maisa, the best thing about the trip was meeting one of her favorite British photographers — Peter Sanders — who has inspired her with his work.

Although Areej Khan says that she is more interested in conceptual abstract photography, the subject of the project required her to change her style. “It was a good experience. We met a lot of people and they were eager to participate,” she said. In her first trip, she used 6 rolls of film and on the second, 11. Out of the pictures she took, she had to choose 6 for the exhibition. “We choose the strongest and easiest to understand, the ones we think would have the most effect on people,” said Areej. Most of her pictures are in black and while. “It is my favorite because it presents a clearer message; color can be distracting,” she explained. “We are hoping that 4 young British women photographers will soon visit Jeddah on a return visit and be able to capture some ideas and images of life in Saudi Arabia,” said Morrison.