Rendering the UAE: The trendsetter

Alia Al-Shamsi will forever be known as the first professional female photographer from the UAE. An impressive accolade for the 20-something camera person who is deeply inspired by, in her own words, “this country that has such a distinct palette of colours ranging from beiges of nature to the more vibrant neon of the cityscape”.
The impressive shutterbug’s work carries the hallmark of vivacity. “I see different hues created by the numerous cultures that converge in this tiny nation. They provide an even wider range of colours and shades, compelling me to always keep my images in colour as a salute to the cultural code and context that the photos come from,” says Alia. Captured on celluloid for eternity is her vision of the UAE, its people, culture and history. What you see on this page is part of a series from her blog ‘The Unchronological Visual Diary’. “This diary is about all the little moments and objects that stirred something within me; something that connected me to them — it could be a story or a memory. But either way I reacted and took a picture regardless of the mundaneness of it,” she says.
Seemingly ordinary, the tailor’s shop in Dubai, offers a quick glimpse of the community. “Like an anthropologist I go search different areas and look for clues to the lifestyle, the demographic and over-all street culture of the area. This series reflects the display of the national flag and the leaders as a reflection of the society’s strong nationalist association. Displaying your nationalism, whether through murals, or mini flags is just part of the everyday urban scenario,” she says.
While the nationalistic sentiments seem to be all pervasive, her artistic emotional response is not as easy to pinpoint. “I am not quite sure what my Middle Eastern sensibilities are, but I am able to say this work is a reflection of how a person who grew up in this region sees the Middle East,” she says. When it comes to her work, the colours, the subject, the skill and her passion come across distinctly. “I love what I do and enjoy my profession. I hope many have the ability to connect to the stories illustrated and perhaps find a bit of themselves within it,” she says.