The English Islamophobia and 2041’s Burqa Fetish

A burqa or a burka, also known as a chadaree in Afghanistan or a paranja in Central Asia, is an enveloping outer garment which covers the body and the face that is worn by women in some Islamic traditions. The Arab version of the burqa is called the boshiya, and it is usually black.

England – 

2041’ is an eponymous collection of self-portraits, concealed beneath various forms of burqa or niqab. Using the camera to articulate a passion he has secretly indulged for decades, the artist appears dozens of times without ever disclosing his image or identity.

Long before 2041 bought his first real burqa online, he began crafting his own versions from draped and folded fabrics in a rich array of textures and colours. By photographing himself in these costumes – ranging from the traditional to the theatrical – he adopts multiple personas, but always remains anonymous.


1301_6396724631_o-b

2041’s first memories of the pleasure of being enveloped in swathes of cloth are from his days as a choirboy. As an adult, he developed an interest in more complete coverings, but it was only ten years ago that he first bought a computer and found an online community that shares his passion.

The photographs in 2041 were selected from thousands that he made to share with these fellow enthusiasts. Anonymised by both the internet and the veil, these men and women, Christian, Muslim and without religion, post their pictures and thoughts from locations spanning Western Europe and the Gulf States.

For many, including Muslim men, the practice is driven by what one Christian woman describes as her ‘insatiable desire for extreme modesty.’ What almost all seem to crave is transcendence of the physical self – or at least being judged on the physical – coupled with the excitement of observing the world unseen, safely cocooned in luxuriant fabrics. This is the burqa seen in a celebratory light.

Photography

Related Posts

Helio Leon Purple Room

Helio Leon: “The Purple Room” – Reliving Istanbul Memories

Turkey –                               THIS STORY CONTAINS ...

Road of love – Mansoreh Motamedi

Iran – The seven-year Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) killed thousands of Iranians. Many bodies of the martyrs back. But it still has ...

Colin Pantall on Max Pinckers “Will They Sing Like Raindrops or Leave Me Thirsty”

Belgium – What do you do if you love somebody but your love is forbidden by your parents, by your ...

The 2014 Paris Photo–Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards Announced

New York –  Todd Hido, photographer and photobook maker greeted an eager crowd at the New York Art Book Fair ...

Wasma Mansour: ‘I would really like to widen the debate on Saudi women’

Saudi Arabia  – Wasma Mansour shoots intimate scenes and portraits in large format and elucidates the great in the mundane. ...

Jordi Ruiz Cirera Los Menonos

Jordi Ruiz Cirera: Los Menonos

 Bolivia –  Comprising of images taken between 2010 and 2011 in the Mennonite colonies of Santa Cruz, in Eastern Bolivia, Los Menonos ...

Kentaro Takahashi The Riverbed

Kentaro Takahashi: Reminders Photography Stronghold Grant Announced

Japan –  “The flowing river never stops and yet the water never stays the same.” —Kamo No Chomei, “My Ten-Foot ...

Enfant Terrible – Antoine D’Agata

THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT CONTENT France – French photographer Antoine D’agata’s work is dark, introspective and shockingly bold. A photographer ...

Alberto Lizaralde: “everything will be ok”

Spain –  In life we all go through good times and bad times over and over, tirelessly. I went through ...