Yasser Alwan

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, potteries. His portraits of workers living in conditions of unimaginable poverty and political dispossession are remarkable for their refusal of the cliches of social documentary and photojournalism. Alongside these, there are intimate images of family and friends which 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.