Therefore, I Cut is an artistic photography documentary project following three women in exile through the intimate ritual of cutting each other’s hair. A simple yet profoundly symbolic act, it opens a space for stories, memories, and resilience. By focusing on haircutting—a gesture tied to change and adaptation—the project delves into what it means to cut, to be cut off, and how these actions reflect the experience of exile.

"We’ve been caught between two places, swinging in the middle, trying to build something like a home. During this time, I watch my mother with her scissors, cutting her friends’ hair, as they always ask her to. She is not a hairdresser and never has been, but here in exile, they only trust each other’s hands. I listen to their conversations about love and loss, joy and pain, stories of the war and everything they endured. Together, they have formed a small family, a ‘home with no ground.’ Here, I stand in the middle, and for a moment, I feel that I could belong again."

What began as an attempt to understand my own displacement evolved into a broader exploration of how my mother and her friends—each from different cities and backgrounds in Syria—support one another in exile. I wanted to capture this bond, both in its emotional complexity and in the strength that arises from it.

Supported by AFAC, MAGNUM FONDATION and PRINCE CLAUSE FUND as part of ADPP (Arabic Documentary Photography Program)

Winner INGE MORATH AWARD by MAGNUM

Exhibitons

• Tbilisi Photography & Multimedia Museum - ‘Something Very Dear’ (Tbilisi, Georgia Mar-Mai 2025)

• Galerie C - Je suis une hors-la-loi (Neuchâtel, Switzerland Jan-Feb 2025)

• ARTEXPLORA International Festival in the Mediterranean Sea (2024-2026, international)

• The Women’s Museum of Marrakesh in collaboration with FotoFemme United (April-October 2024, Morocco)

• Arab Film and Media Institute - Arab Women in the Arts (May 2024, USA)