September 15, 2015

Photographer Eman Mohammed opens 2015 Fall Focus Lecture Series at SVSU

Eman Mohammed was only 19 when she began capturing photos for a local news agency. Then the Gaza War broke out. As the only female photographer in the Gaza Strip, Mohammed overcame cultural bias, sexual abuse and physical danger to become a powerful journalistic voice documenting the conflict between Israel and Palestine. 

Mohammed will share her story and her work as the first speaker in the 2015 Fall Focus Lecture Series at Saginaw Valley State University. She will give her presentation Tuesday‌, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts; her talk is titled “Breaking Taboos and Documenting Devastation: A Woman's Journey.”

This year’s series has the theme of “Discovery!,” and features seven speakers who will talk about topics that both test historical narratives and illuminate issues that may shape the future.

In her Fall Focus presentation, Mohammed will discuss her nomadic childhood with her single mother, her start as a young journalist, and her career – and future – as an internationally-recognized photographer and storyteller. 

Mohammed’s work has been featured by media outlets including the Guardian, Washington Post and CNN, as well as organizations such as UNESCO; it also has been exhibited in New York, Montreal, Dublin and The Hague. In 2013, the British Museum of London acquired some of her work. Mohammed also has been featured as a speaker on the popular TED Talks series. 

Mohammed has expanded her scope to include other Middle Eastern nations. One of her latest projects, "iWar," includes portraits that show the long-term aftermath of survivors and victims of war. The series was photographed over the course of a few days, with each family or person intended to represent the pain and sadness violence can leave behind.

All lectures in the Fall Focus series are open to the public; admission is free of charge. For more information on the series, visit svsu.edu/fallfocus.