Oriane Zerah is a French photographer who lives in Afghanistan. L’Eclectique magazine was touched by the light and the radiant energy in her series “Afghanistan: Roses under the thorns”. She invites you off the beaten path in this country to seek and encounter a luminous path of beauty in the harshest circumstances. Discover the artist in the interview and a selction of photos from her series.
Afghanistan has too often been reduced to its tragedies, and it is important to show something else too.
What does the art of photography represent for you?
Oriane Zerah, photographer
Photography is for me a way to share the vision I have of the world.
Your series “Roses under the thorns” is revealing unexpected and unseen beauty in Afghanistan. What was the deepest wisdom you acquired working on this project with Afghan people?
When I handed a flower to someone to pose with they would let themselves go for a moment; sometimes it was very fleeting, but it was a long enough moment for me to take the photo. The flower disarmed him. This project was a gift to me. I imagine that if I had handed out a weapon the reaction of the person, who would have received it and would have posed with it, would have been different.
And that there are always several sides to a story. Afghanistan has too often been reduced to its tragedies, and it is important to show something else too. This obviously does not mean that tragedies do not exist.
What are you seeking going off the beaten path?
To be surprised, sometimes amazed, and to shatter the certainties that I dare to have.
Finally, would you complete this sentence with your own words: “When I travel, I….”
When I travel, I see, I look, I hear, I listen, and I learn.
You can also discover another photographer from Afghanistan in the article “Beauty amid war” here
Read the article “3 things I learned teaching Afghan Women” by Sarah Anouar
Fondatrice de L'Eclectique, subjuguée par l'écriture & l'anglais.
Auteure du roman "Subjuguer me fascine"
Writer & Soul artist
Author of the mini book for Soul "The Most Precious Love" & Soul prose book "French Kiss".
My intention is to help people expand their self-awareness & confidence. Overcome their emotional pain & self-doubt so they can transform & let their light shine to make a difference with their lives. I also do Astrology consultations & Tarot readings to find and communicate insights & healing to people who feel called to work with me.
"Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less travelled by and, that has made all the difference" - Robert Frost