-
-
-
-
This project is a reflection on representation. My idea was to search for alternative narratives when it comes to representation and identity, to communicate effectively about the Burmese women living in Thailand and who benefit from the We Women Foundation higher education grants.
Central to the project was my interest to question the photographic medium in its capacities and limitations, and this is reflected in the photographic language chosen, as well as in the relation between form and content. This is thus not documentary photography work. Rather, I would say it belongs within the visual anthropology realm.
To find narratives that would allow the viewer to actually get to learn, know something about the subject, and not merely observe it; narratives that would involve an active engagement from the three players in the photographic act (subject, photographer, viewer); narratives that would question the voice (who’s telling the story? who’s voice is this? why is this voice interesting?) has been a central concern all along the process. -
I started by talking to the women to get to know them a little and introduce myself and the ideas, then I wondered: What story is to be told? By whom? What is the point in trying to convey who these women are, since I barely know them? Do they really want to be represented? What legitimacy does my voice/gaze has?
I was also constrained, for security reasons, by the impossibility to show full faces. This implied thinking about voices, identities, depth and surface. The politics of representation. Form and content. Coherence and honesty.
A person is more than a face. How can the photographic medium, flat and static as it is, grasp the complexity of identities and selves? Inspired by what had emerged during our talks, I asked the women to bring to the photo session an object that they wanted to share with the viewer, and that could represent a part of who they were. I wanted them to be part of the narrative about themselves, because it was their voice who was interesting. What do they wanted to say to the viewer? -
The women brought along objects that talked about their identity and belonging. They thus choose what aspects of their identity to show and share. And during the photo session they started naturally to put them to use. My involvement in this performative process was minimal, as I was concerned with the form and technical details, while they took poses and used the objects in a way they chose.
I realized self-representation is a performative process and that to show it, it would be more interesting to incorporate narratives of the mise-en-scene itself, performed spontaneously by the women at that moment. After editing, I asked the women to choose the three or four photographs they wanted to choose to be shown.
Series, in which I choose to show details (the usage of an object, movements, pieces of faces), tell us about the acceptance of the difficulties of (self)representation while allowing the involvement of the subject on the narrative she creates about herself. The object they choose produce meaning by being chosen and used. And thus their usage tells us, a bit more, about who the person is. -
Series (and details shown in them) are chosen precisely because they are incomplete: they are partial brush-strokes, partial as our gaze on people, as Photography itself. Series are susceptible to grow, we might always add more and more details and yet we will never be able to represent who a person truly is.
This chosen form also allows to address the imposed security concerns, thus connecting with the politics of representation in this part of the world, while at the same time overcoming its limitations. The viewer is engaged into a closer look, a questioning about his own relation to what is shown and not shown.
I wanted form and content to reflect, to inform each other. Framing, aperture, use of light and camera position constitute yet another language to express both the limitations of the photographic medium (we are more than pieces and details!) and its possibilities and potential to narrate and represent, getting the viewer closer to the women, learning something about them and not merely observing, “consuming” them as yet another image in an image-overloaded world.
-
That also is why text is an essential part of the form in this project. Text reminds us of what we frequently forget: that images show, but they never explain anything.
Including text (produced by the women, telling about themselves) is an attempt to acknowledge this, engage the viewer further, and take him/her closer to who the women are, beyond what is visible. -
>Maohorm
30 years old, studying Social Sciences at University.
"My highest goal is “I would like to be a woman who can empower other women in the community to have a say and a role on the future of social and political decisions.” Furthermore, I maintain a keen interest in current affairs and politics inside Burma. I enjoy working with local women’s groups, empowering, counseling and community development. I have a passion working with diverse communities and different ethnic people. My focus is on giving empowerment training on basic gender, peace building and domestic violence issues. I enjoy interviewing and writing articles about women’s stories particularly about Shan women activists. I think Social Science subject is the right subject that can learn the knowledge that I need for the community. Moreover, the reason I had chosen to study at Chiang Mai University is they focus on the Mekong Sub-region, and ASEAN development and CMU is one the place that give opportunity to do advocacy about Burma issues." -
Maohorm
"I chose Shan traditional clothes, we wear them when we have special events or important events such as Shan New Year and including Wedding Ceremony. Especially, headdresses are unique and beautiful when women are wearing it.
Traditional Long knife and Hat, in the part, when people travel, mostly Shan men carry the long knife with Men hat and women carry water bottle with women hat. All are having their own meaning
The reason that I chose Long knife and women hat because the meanings of the knife are to protect from dangerous, to use as a tool when we need foods and shelters etc.
-
Maohorm
Moreover, in modern world women have ability to do everything as same as men. Therefore, women also can carry Long knife to protect our self, find foods or shelters. Sometime, my mother also compare long knife as an Education. My mother also told me that “when you have an Education (as a knife), education can protect you from danger, you can use it when you need and thinking sharply as a knife.
I chose [them] because I am Shan, I would like to express my Shan culture and my nationality. [These images] show the meaning of the Shan women and abilities together [and] the step of how to be headdress. It also means to me that everything in our life especially working, we should start from the beginning, preparing until the end.
When we have done our work we will see our successful story or how meaningful to the people." -
-
Yay Aye
23 years old, studying Social Sciences at University"This is Yay Aye and I'm a Karen. There are full of meaning and symbols of Karen people within a traditional dress. On a dress we have our flag and little logo of our musical instrument. Moreover, our older people said that our literature were hidden in the design of our traditional costumes"
I am studying Social Sciences because I want to understand societies -
-
Yay Aye
There are lots of people in my generation who perceive the West is very free – everything is perfect like in the cinema or TV.. the way the media presents them. The image of the West, even the women.. the TV woman.. it is a very ideal world. That’s what I think my perception of the West is.
Many times I embarrassed myself because I discovered that the way I approached girls was not acceptable to people. Sometimes I expect a certain response from my good intentions; and yet I get a negative response. Then I learned to neutralise myself, become more conservative. I became more accepted. It is the opposite in Sudan. People there would think you don’t like them if you behaved that way. It is definitely more individualistic here, and more sense of community in Sudan. -
-
May
27 years old, about to study Social Work at University
"When I was a little girl, my mom always said to me that I was beautiful like every other girls. I did not understand why she said that to me because I always thought that I was ugly. That was because I was always told by others that I was ugly. One day I asked her why she thought different from others and said that I was beautiful. She said “There are no ugly flowers on this earth. Or do you see one?”
She explained to me that girls are like flowers and every flower has its own beauty. They all have rights to be blooming beautifully. More importantly, she said I was one of those beautiful flowers and I am beautiful. I always remember this conversation whenever I feel bad about myself"
"Tha net khar is a traditional beauty product for Burmese girls. We put on our cheeks to protect our skin from the sunburn. Educating women giving them a weapon not only to protect themselves but also to protect their beloved society." -
-
