Afra Bin Dhaher lives and works in the UAE. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication from the American University of Sharjah in 2012 she went on to continue her photographic practice along with an avid continued interest graphic design. She is the recipient of several awards including first place for the 2012 Hamdan International Photography Awards, and Sheikha Manal’s Young Artist Award in 2010. Her exhibitions include Emirati Insights, organized by ADMAF & FotoFest International (2015); Turning Point, Tashkeel (2014); Past Forward, Contemporary Art from the Emirates, organized by UAE Embassy & Meridian International Center (2014); Tessellation Make-up, Galeri Zilberman (2012); Emirati Expressions with Stephen Shore, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi (2011); The Reflective Mirror, United Nations New York (2010).
To kick start the new year and present the first exhibition from Tashkeel’s Critical Practice Programme, Afra Bin Dhaher showcases Hymns to a Sleeper, a new body of work which continues to explore the principles of photography within a world of surreal and constructed landscapes.
In this new series, Bin Dhaher presents a series of photographs which depict unexceptional household items in exceptional settings. From chairs, carpets, found objects, and even a parrot, Bin Dhaher takes the simplicity of domestic living and envelopes it in an enigma of intrigue and romance.
“There’s a need to construct images out of the pieces of information we receive from our daily encounters. Whether they are lessons, readings, dreams, conversations, moments, people, objects, or memories,” says Bin Dhaher. &ldq...