Olivia Snaije writes about how Fouad Elkoury's photography captures the haunting beauty of conflict and resilience over decades of turmoil in the Middle East.
Elkoury’s work has always been poetic, whether in images or writing, and he has combined photography with writing for years. In the challenging subjects he has taken on, he has been ever-conscious of finding beauty and singularity in his mode of expression. He speaks often of his fear — during wars or of the mukhabarat (secret police) when taking photos in the Syria of the 1980s or ’90s — yet he has always strayed from the beaten path. He is unafraid of expressing his emotions, which are just under the surface, as if he might smile suddenly or cry at any moment.