Hamda Al Qubaisi faces the camera while sitting in the pilot’s seat of the passenger jet she flies for a living. Sharjah’s Sheikha Al Qassemi stands with her abaya falling gracefully over a pair of dangling gymnastic rings. Alamira Noor Bani Hashim strides across the frame with the construction site of Louvre Abu Dhabi in the background and, quietly sitting on a bed in her house in Dubai, the UAE’s oldest female photographer, Sheikha Al Suwaidi, is surrounded by her own images and a Leica camera.
These are just a few of the images from 7 Princesses, a series of 22 portraits by the well-known photojournalist Steve McCurry.
The idea behind this series, commissioned by The Empty Quarter gallery in Dubai, was to show the strength and character of Emirati women from all walks of life.
“We want to highlight the UAE as a queen and the seven emirates as seven princesses,” says Safa Al Hamed, managing partner of The Empty Quarter. “Steve McCurry is one of our muses in photography, he is the king of light. I am delighted to work with him on this project because he has his own unique way of telling stories and bringing images alive.”
By choosing women to show a diversity of Emiratis from different generations, Al Hamed says she is hoping to challenge stereotypes.
“We made sure that we represented the true Emirati woman. Her abaya, her jewellery and her character; what you see in the pictures is real, it is what you see in the street.”
Reem Al Faisal, the owner of the gallery and also a member of the Saudi royal family, expanded on the primary motivation of the project. “People see women from the Gulf as some kind of odalisque, sitting on her lounge and doing nothing, like a scene from 1001 Nights. That was one of the major reasons that we chose women specifically and to show their strength.
“The important thing to notice here is that these women do not have to disassociate from their traditions to have strong character. They already do have that and they are just continuing in the modern world but each one is distinct in her own way. What they have in common is that they are all self confident; you can see it in their eyes.”
Other women in the portraits include Sara Suhail, the executive director of Ewa’a Shelters, which houses and helps process human trafficking and domestic abuse survivors and Nof Al Mazrui, co-founder of The Developing Child Centre, for children with autism and learning difficulties.
The photographs were taken at landmark sites in all seven emirates, which include Dubai Aquarium, the Fujairah Fort and the Sheikh Zayed Mosque.
Al Hamed says her aim after this exhibition is to travel with the show to Miami, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Paris and Berlin.
“We want to show the whole world the UAE and its women.”
McCurry is also confident about the show’s potential.
"I've been working with The Empty Quarter for a number of years and find them to be not only one of the best galleries in the Middle East, but also in the world. I was intrigued by the Seven Princesses project and thought this would be a great new adventure and experience. I look forward to launching this very unique project with these incredibly accomplished women, from all of the seven Emirates."
• Seven Princesses runs until April 16 at The Empty Quarter Gallery. For more info visit: www.theemptyquarter.com
aseaman@thenational.ae