On April 11, I went to the exhibition of “Saudi Tales of Love,” by Tasneem Alsultan, a young photographer. Alsultan was born in the US, educated in England, and returned to Saudi Arabia for her graduate degree. She was married at the young age of 17 and by the age of 21 she had two children and wanted a divorce. Her parents arranged the marriage, and after ten years of living unhappily, Alsultan got a divorce against her parents’ wishes. Now, as a single mother, Alsultan calls upon her own experience to show the injustices Saudi women face when it comes to marriage and basic human rights, like driving or traveling.
Alsultan’s work comments on the lives of various women living in Saudi Arabia, some widows, some happily married, and others single divorced mothers. Two photos really struck me, especially since they were placed side by side. On the left, the viewer sees a young woman standing boldly, strutting a fashionable dress and in a stance of power. On the left is a woman where we don’t even see her face and her head is covered by a towel almost to mimic a hijab. The woman on the right is a wedding planner and is pictured in her privately-owned ballroom. She has never been married or even in love, but she has an abundance of men working for her. She is quoted, “When people ask me why I’m still single, I say that I am married to my work.” The woman on the right has been married for 64 years and raised six men and three daughters and has over thirty grandchildren. Still she cannot sign or travel without a male guardian. She says, “My youngest grandson has more authority than me.”
It amazes me that these two very different figures found their places next to each other in this gallery. These women have lived almost opposite lives: one in a position of giving orders, the other taking the orders. But it speaks on how women are often told they have to choose between having a career and having a family. It seems nearly impossible for some people, yet I personally know countless women who don’t have to make that choice of one or the other, they are able to maintain both.
Each photo in the gallery gave a small insight on the lives of the people in the photos and each seemed to capture the personalities of them. For example, the first picture on the left shows a single mother trying to put her son to bed. Rather than crawling up to go to sleep, she smiles as her son decides to have a dance party instead. It’s amazing what mothers do and how children usually don’t take notice of their work.
The gallery was accented with rugs lining the floor all the way to the back of the room. This added to the Saudi feel that was shown in the photos. I really enjoyed the Alsultan’s work and the exhibition as a whole, really spoke to me because it’s comments on femininity in marriage, motherhood, and every day life.
