To Witness Her Again
Aisha Salmeen
"To Witness Her Again" moves beyond feminist critiques of polygamy by neither romanticizing it, nor demonizing it, but rather examining the impacts of maternal resilience on both mothers and daughters in polygamous households in the Middle East. It brings attention to the subtle forms of emotional survival that unfold in silence, and visually embodies it in a series of embroidered images. As mothers navigate difficult emotions, the relationship between them and their daughters can vary from deeply strained to intensly close. Yet, many narratives, including my own, reveal that both extreme ends of love and strain can co-exist together.
Introductory Spreads
Book spreads from the introduction and literature review that set up the topic and research. They introduce themes of silence, coping, and mother–daughter relationships in polygamous households, building the foundation for the project.
Core Insights
Selected book spreads from interview transcripts and discussions, highlighting personal stories and reflections. These pages show lived experiences, emotional nuance, and different perspectives that form the core insights of the project.
Stitched Narratives
Spreads of embroidered images of Arab mothers and daughters, showing both front compositions and backs. The thread visualizes emotional weight, while the backs reveal hidden labor. Includes a central inserted signature summarizing the book, with page references pointing to the surrounding spreads it is embedded within.
Participatory Workshop
Spreads from a participatory workshop where participants worked with their own images with their mothers. The outcomes reflect shared emotional experiences and extend the project into a more collective expression.
The Book 01
Photographic documentation of the book as a physical object, focusing on its material, scale, and presence beyond scanned spreads.