Sonia Audhali at the mac birmingham.
An interesting exhibition of social documentary work by Sonia Audhali recording the gradual assimilation of two societies.


 The images of the younger members born in Britain illustrate the inevitable differences growing between the generations and the changing nature of Yemen traditional mores. A mother and son gaze at each other through a glass window , his Western clothing in contrast with the more traditional attire of his mother. Other images show a girl scout with covered head and football top, young boys studying the Quran in both traditional and Western style clothes.  Older community members are photographed chew khat , running  businesses, socialising.


 She has cleverly captured a population on the cusp of change, how long will it be before any trace of their traditional heritage is visible?


I found them intimate subjective images , she is herself part of the community and as such does not view her subjects with an objective eye. Because of this I got a sense of how a shared culture binds people together and understand what might be lost.

 




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