Omani photographic artist Eman Ali, who was brought into the world in the UK, makes a capturing visual relationship between the strength of shaft moving teacher Nusaiba Al Maskari’s body and the Hajar Mountains behind the scenes in her sunlit picture. By gracefully extending herself horizontally from her pole and drawing a single, fluid line across the picture plane, she achieves alignment with the mountains above Muscat.
Ali started pole dancing when she lived in London a few years ago. At the moment, she works between Oman and Bahrain. In an email, she said that she had heard about Al Maskari’s private studio, Rock & Rhythm, and that she wanted to meet him and take pictures of him.
“I am drawn to like-minded women who are not afraid to be themselves,” Ali says.
Ali explained that despite the fact that pole dancing has gained worldwide popularity over the past two decades, having such a studio in the Gulf nation is “highly unusual.”
The striking portrait is from Ali’s meditative series “The Earth Would Die if the Sun Stopped Kissing Her,” which is about life in Oman. “Her bravery in bringing a sport that celebrates female sensuality to a more conservative environment and her ability to help women feel confident and empowered by their bodies inspire me.” It is essential for a worldwide venture by the NFT stage Obscura in which almost 140 picture takers recorded contemporary life around the same time.
She explained that Ali’s work, which she also displayed in the fall at the international photo fair Paris Photo, is a love letter to Oman’s land and people, “highlighting the beauty, imperfections, and strength” that bind us together. In other pictures, she also plays with the poetic qualities of light, setting a woman’s portrait against the deep purple of the sunset and projecting stars across a man with his eyes closed.
She said that “magical” childhood camping trips in the country’s wadis, or oases, and diving in the Gulf of Oman are some of Ali’s favorite Oman memories. Instead of having her portrait taken in her studio, she asked Al Maskari if they could meet at the Bousher Sand Dunes. She explained that urban expansion has been “slowly disappearing” the dunes in southeastern Muscat, which are known locally as “Urooq.” These dunes rise high above buildings.
It was boiling the morning she met Al Maskari and her significant other, giving them just enough time to shoot before they realized that Al Maskari’s convenient post was too hot to even consider contacting. Despite the fact that Ali only had a limited amount of time to photograph Al Maskari in the poses she had planned, the symmetry of this one immediately caught her attention; This was dubbed the “harmony between the female body and nature herself” by Ali.
Al Masakari posted the image to her studio’s Instagram account in honor of Eid al-Fitr, describing it as “such a beautiful picture.”
Ali plans to enroll in one of Al Maskari’s classes when she returns to Muscat and commends the instructor for her dedication to the sport.
“She’s providing a fun and safe space for women,” Ali stated. In addition, she is contributing to the formation of a sense of community among her students and promoting body positivity. She is making a significant contribution to the acceptance of pole dancing as a legitimate art and exercise form, which I greatly appreciate.
