Traces of RED

2022-2024

A nationwide survey in 2018 indicated that 25% of Egyptians suffer from mental or psychological disorders with only 0.4% of those seeking psychiatric help. 

“ It is not normal to want to commit suicide, if I try to pinch you with a needle you would move away. It is just against human nature to want to hurt yourself. It means there is a problem” said Asmaa one of the participants in the project. According to WHO statistics, the suicide rates in Egypt increased from 3022 in 2019 to 7881 in 2022. 

Mental illness is like infrared light it is never seen with the eye but it is known it has been there, In 2022 I started meeting people who suffered from mental disorders, These meetings resulted in a series of photos that tell the participants’ stories with the help of an infrared camera showing the unseen realm of reality and the turmoil these people have experienced.

With the rising trend in the number of people suffering from mental disorders in Egypt, this project is a visual journey through mental disorders and the different perceptions of the issue in Egyptian society.