Daftar Asfar prints for sale on Gulf Photo Plus
The 9 prints created by the Daftar Asfar co-founders, available for sale on Gulf Photo Plus website until October 1, 2020
In 2020, the co-founders were thrilled that they were all about to finally live in the UAE together for the first time and be able to work more closely on the project. Then COVID-19 happened. Sarah was stuck in Amman and could not travel, while Lena and Nahla were confined in their homes in Dubai. Like the rest of the world, the artists felt vulnerable and trapped – but also desperate to think about their Daftar Asfar community and seeking ways to adapt and cope with the shifting realities. The artists decided to focus on how the three co-founders were actually feeling, given the changing state of the world. Sarah sent a digital file with a paper texture and asked that each artist draw on one and send to the other to collaborate on. No theme was set per se, nor did the artists try to actively respond to the current situation, but rather focused on feeling grateful that after all these years of knowing one another, they finally got to pause and collaborate on something together.
As with every project, there were bloopers, such as forgetting to sign images or not being able to send files in the right formats across and sometimes, even sending it to the wrong person and ruining the playful surprise element. Ultimately, this process illuminated how much creative respect the artists hold for one another, and how they fed off each other collaboratively and brought out each other’s visual personalities. Though the artists' scales and styles differ, the anticipation they experienced waiting for their turn felt like unwrapping a gift. They also found a way to express themselves in a medium that felt accessible during lockdown and isolation and being on the receiving end made them feel more connected and more empathetic towards each other.
These 9 collaborative artworks are the artists' way of processing these strange times, and can be seen as time capsules that harbour thoughts, meditative labor and feelings, created during the months of March, April and May 2020.
The artworks are available on Gulf Photo Plus’s website for a limited time. Check it out here.