Tsawwar… Amina Kadous
“This photo is part of my long-term project ‘White Gold’ where I combine my personal and national histories with the history of Egyptian cotton. Documenting the fading fabrics, traditions, and symbols of the past, offers a lens through which we can shape how we view ourselves. I go back to my roots and family tree, to my land and hometown El-Mahalla El-Kubra, located in Egypt's Nile Delta region. Once the citadel of industry in Egypt, El-Mahalla has throughout history been known as the center for harvesting and weaving cotton. The photo shows Warda the cotton picker during Egypt's cotton harvest season (typically between October and November). She carries a pack of harvested cotton to Mohamed, who stands inside the cotton sack, waiting to receive the handpicked cotton. Once Mohamed receives the cotton, it is compressed into one big sack – similar to the one the little boy is leaning on. This is the first stage in the cotton cycle before it is transported to the ginning factories. This was my second time photographing there. Everything around the cotton seemed light, like soft clouds of hope blending seamlessly with its surroundings. Yet farmers have to work in the scorching sun for up to 10 hours a day, handpicking each ball of cotton separately. They struggle through the heat and the burning sun as they race to finish their shift under the watchful eyes of their field supervisors. I realized how cotton production is very labor-intensive. The growth of the cotton crop from a seed until it’s spun and woven into threads requires many hands.”
Tsawwar is an ongoing visual series in Daftar that explores the stories behind a photograph, taken in the region or by an Arab photographer, written in their own words. Amina Kadous is an Egyptian artist and photographer who has won the Prix de la Photo Madame Figaro Arles in 2022. Explore her work on @aminakadous
