Photographer : Mohammed Al-Sawaf - Iraq
It seems that all children, no matter where they live or who their family may be, have a strong sense of curiosity. In this photo, it is through the eyes of the child, the movement of his face, his mouth, and his nose, that the audience observes how the child is eagerly peeping outside of the Abaya (the woman's black cloak) to learn what is happening. Although half of his face is showing, and the other half is cropped by the scarf, the child's face is still beautiful and full of inquisitive expression.
Traditionally, elderly Iraqi ladies living in rural areas of the Middle East wear abayas to cover the whole body with the exception of the face and the palms. So, in this case the black color is not a symbol of sadness or death, but is rather a symbol of decency among the older people.
The love and passion that this woman possesses for the boy is represented in her aims to keep him close to her under her abaya. She worries for him. The protective covering shelters him from the heat of the sun, the chill of a cold night's wind, or the envy from the eyes of strangers. There is a longstanding myth among older women in Iraq that a child under the age of one year should be far from the eyes of strangers. This shared belief may be related to the idea of the evil eye, a popular superstition in many cultures, includingTurkey.
The old woman is looking elsewhere. It seems she is either pensive and preoccupied with something, or she is too shy to look at the camera. However, the innocent young boy has no experience and is just now starting to explore and wonder about the world around him.
Although the dominant colors in this photo are black and white, the light that is emphasized on the two faces make this photo very beautiful.
This young boy, and many boys like him, is very fortunate to have a grandmother as their main caregiver who can share her stories, her culture, and her traditions.
This photo has emotional intimacy because it reminds me of my grandmother and how she used to care for my siblings and me.
It is very obvious that there are a lot of wrinkles in the woman face, but still beautiful? Yes, it is believed that wrinkles are a sign of wisdom, which is beauty in of itself.
