Eric Esmail Parnes

Gharb

Gharb
2020

51x76 cm

Photograph

Edition of 5 + 1 AP

Gharb or "West" in Arabic غَـرْب is a homonym with the english garb "clothing or dress". The Thawb or Dishdasha worn by men and woman is a form of clothing that has been worn by those living in and around the Middle East, Levant and North Africa for millennia. Its use is believed to have derived from its functional aspects in relation to the environment Independent of religious or ethic differences. Thus, the garment has no singular basis for its origin. This series utilizes miniature figures, photographed in abstraction attempting to reflect on the rich history of this simple utilitarian object. Leasing to a visual interchange between the traditional and metamorphosis of the identity.