‘The phenomena of resistance observed in the colonised must be related to an attitude of counter-assimilation, of maintenance of a cultural, hence national, originality.’ (Fanon, 1959)

My photographs are all based off an excerpt of Frantz Fanon’s ‘Algeria Unveiled’ (1959) – all based off the symbolism of the veil for Arab women during the Algerian revolution and the contradiction between unveiling the Arab women from a western gaze as an idea of liberation. This is compared to the keeping of said veil as an idea of liberation from a non-western gaze – working with my heritage and the idea of memory and distant feelings from said heritage to work with sort of veiling and unveiling parts of my culture. 

The extract itself is based on subjectivity, objectivity and power – the subjectivity on what the veil means to you, the objectivity of revolution and the power of what it takes to overthrow a regime.

‘Algeria Unveiled’ (1959) critiques not only the colonial oppression of Algeria but also challenges Western misconceptions of Arab identity, particularly those shaped by colonialism, and demonstrates how these stereotypes are intimately connected to the dynamics of colonial power, providing deeply important groundwork for current conversations and discourse around decolonisation – specifically within Arab cultures. Frantz Fanon emphasised that true decolonisation was not just about political independence, but also about psychological and cultural emancipation. In the postcolonial world, this idea has evolved into the demand for decolonising education, reclaiming indigenous knowledge, and challenging Western-dominated cultural narratives in media, art, and history.  

Throughout this process I have also been reflecting on my own relationship with my heritage, being an Algerian woman; the objective fact of its existence, it’s subjective reflection in my personal thoughts, and the power of which it brings me.

The project is about reflecting on my own imagery through this veil, thinking about my own identity and how this alters and changes certain aspects of my life – e.g. places, relationships.

Initially I had planned on recovering imagery I had taken from Algeria when I visited years ago- unfortunately I was unable to actually recover those photographs. However I still think this is important in a way. I find that my work doesn’t need to contain imagery from Algeria itself, but more about my own perception and the lens of which I view things through as an Arab woman. Drawing upon these ideas of liberation and subjectivity and where I hold power in my life; my connection to my past and the concept of the veil is not one that only comes based on location – but rather something I have carried with me my whole life despite never living there. 

“If we want to destroy the structure of the Algerian society, its capacity for resistance, we must first of all conquer the women; we must go and find them behind the veil where they hide themselves and in the houses where the men keep them out of sight.”  (Fanon, 1959)

I always wanted to work with projections. That’s a key element of the idea of memory and being able to pull from my past, both physically and symbolically projecting that onto fabrics. 

I also knew that I wanted to work with lace and draping. This again plays with the symbolism of the veil – a thin, see-through, almost romanticised fabric compared with the oppression and discussion of unveiling. As well as the way in which the coloniser views said veil creates a contradiction of which questions my own coming to terms with my heritage and memories of my upbringing.

‘In the face of the violence of the occupier, the colonised found himself defining a principled position with respect to a formerly inert element of the native cultural configuration. It was the colonialists’ frenzy to unveil the Algerian woman, it was his gamble on winning the battle of the veil at whatever cost, that were to provoke the natives bristling resistance.’ (Fanon, 1959)

I not only took inspiration from Fanon, but also Jasleen Kaur, incorporating race with set design, space, identity; and find myself always being drawn to the sensory experience in my artwork, e.g. clutter, fabric, projections. Combining academic work alongside my artwork not only in conclusion but as a basis, as well as contemplating my ethnicity and forming that into my own space and projection felt like an almost ‘meant to be’ moment. 

Throughout my childhood, for various reasons, I often found myself not associating with my heritage, and the influences that faith had upon my formative years. It’s only as of recently I have truly taught myself to understand and carry pride in my ethnicity. Learning the history aided in that for one. But creating my own visual space to represent my reflections showed me a manifestation of how I carry being Algerian today. It showed the importance that holds for me, and now I will actively refuse to feel disassociated from my heritage ever again.