Story
The photographer
Hedayat Amid is an award winning photographer born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1990. Just a young boy when the Taliban took control in Kabul, Hedayat remembers the time when photos, television and all artistic works containing human figures were banned. After the fall of Taliban, Hedayat sought all the opportunities to pursue his childhood passion for photography, attending the photojournalism course at AINA photo agency. Today, Hedayat works as a senior photojournalist for European Press Photo Agency in Kabul, and has been published in national and international press such as Washington Post, New York Times and the Guardian. Hedayat’s photography has won prizes from UNESCO, Premio Luchetta, the British Embassy in Kabul, and in 2015, one of his photos was selected as part of the top 100 photos of the year by Time magazine.
More than half of the population in Afghanistan is illiterate, therefore photography and visual arts are essential for delivering information and news. As an Afghan, I am proud to have had an active role in portraying image of Afghanistan to the world.
the concept
In war-torn countries the vast majority of professional photographers work for news agencies. This means their work is often focused on coverage of conflict. Our project is motivated by the opportunity to give talented photographers an entirely new outlet for their work. Through this project we hope to reveal a side to war-torn countries rarely seen in the international media.
