London, August – October 2021
In Arabic, the word ‘وحدة’ (wahda) can mean either solitude/loneliness or unity/union. This is possibly because in Eastern philosophies, the only way to be one with the Creator/Nature, is to be solitary – the practice of retreating from the world to connect with the universe.
When editing the first batch of photos, I was reminded of Edward Hopper’s paintings through an article in the FT weekend about loneliness. This focused my attention to the solitary people in cafés and restaurants – mostly on their mobile phones – against the reflections from the relatively lively streets of London’s West End. A new sort of retreat to connect with a universe wider and more far reaching than the one around them: the Social Media.
This series follows on from the Noble Trees Blues and Lull and shall conclude the COVID trilogy.
