Blending photography and storytelling, Our Hidden Room is a raw and intimate portrayal of a complex yet loving father-son relationship, filled with both tenderness and pain.
A testament to the power of art to bear witness, transform suffering into meaning, and find beauty even in loss.
“This is about my father. This is about me. This is about our hidden room.” Our Hidden Room is an intimate and moving memoir that explores the life of the author’s father—a man shaped by hardship, a deep love for photography, and a lifelong battle with mental illness. Across six chapters, the narrative traces his journey from a difficult childhood in an orphanage in Alexandria to his time in the Egyptian Army, where he discovered photography as both an artistic outlet and a means of solace. Through a deeply personal lens, the author reflects on his father’s resilience, the stigma surrounding mental illness, and the role of art in preserving memory and identity. Photography, once a source of pain for his father, becomes a path of healing for the author.
Portrait of my dad and older brother, Egyptian Desert
This image, with its sweeping view of a cityscape bordered by desert hills, suggests themes of expansion, isolation, and the merging of natural and urban landscapes. evoke a sense of movement or transition, a metaphor for journeys both physical and emotional.
An Egyptian prison—after capturing this photograph, I was arrested by the police, as the Egyptian regime is intolerant of being exposed.
A weary horse rests on the beach, worn out from strenuous labour.
My dad holding a camera, This image holds so much more than just a fleeting moment frozen in time it carries the weight of my history, a piece of my father’s legacy, and the roots of my own journey into art and photography
A hand holds a razor blade above a forearm
St. Moses, an Egyptian mountain that holds deep personal significance for me, was where my father once served during his time in the army.
I have photographed young men in Egypt from the mid-20 the same age my father was when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In Egypt, mental health is rarely discussed, and men are expected to always display strength.
large rock formation resembling a mushroom stands in a barren, desert landscape under a clear sky.
I have photographed young men in Egypt from the mid-20 the same age my father was when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In Egypt, mental health is rarely discussed, and men are expected to always display strength.