‘The Soul of my Land’: spotlight on Anita Bursheh’s debut solo exhibition in Amman
AMMAN — Jordanian photographer Anita Bursheh launched on Friday her inaugural solo exhibition at the Rumman Collective in Amman. The three-day exhibition fully curated by Bursheh herself, showcased a focus on Jordan’s rich heritage and diverse landscapes.
The opening was attended by HRH Princess Rajwa Bint Ali and her daughter, as well as the Minister of Culture Haifa Najjar.
“This exhibition is a tribute to my homeland, Jordan, and to its soul. The different sections of the exhibition are titled: “Jabal” (Mountain), “Sahra” (Desert), “Bahar” (Sea) and “Ghabeh” (Forest), “representing the fundamental elements that define Jordan”, she told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.
Born and raised in Amman, Bursheh considers herself as a “daughter of the Levant”.
“Jordan is the only home I have known in the Levant, despite my origins from various places. There are numerous homes where I was supposed to reside and grow up in, but circumstances prevented it,” she expressed.
While wandering through her photographs, one might notice the profound dedication to the details of Amman: Bursheh loves to capture the doves, the intricate layers of the city, the play of light and shadow cast by the Moon and Sun, the vibrant inhabitants of the Downtown area, the vivid contrast between ancient Roman ruins and contemporary urban landscapes, hints to Palestine, as well as her favourite neighbourhood for photography, Achrafieh.
One of her primary goals for her debut exhibition is to preserve Jordan’s heritage. “I took this shot in Aqaba, in front of the occupied city of Um Rashrash, now commonly known as Eilat,” she explained.
She aims to keep the identity alive and actively contribute to document the Kingdom’s landscapes.
“I always sensed that other countries are fairly well-documented, unlike Jordan. When I search for old photographs of Amman, I do not find much footage of the city’s historical aspects” she elaborated, adding that after noticing this lack of footage of Amman from the past, “I began documenting the city and itsspirit, how the people live, where they go, what they wear, what kind of music they listen to, etc…”
She said that the art of photography not only helped her to forge a profound connection with her roots but also facilitated the discovery of myriad details within her country. “I started as an industrial engineer, and while travelling abroad, I began to perceive things from a new perspective. Upon returning to Amman, I started seeing my own city with this ‘new eye’ of exploration,” she reflected.
