“The Pearl” is a portrait series of migrant workers from different nationalities in Qatar: Snapshots, like improvised performances during this fleeting intermission of their otherwise heavy workweeks.
The pearl is a symbol of history and cultural heritage in Qatar, a country that has been constructed and served by thousands of migrant workers mostly coming from Indian subcontinent, Philippines, Sudan, and Senegal. The Pearl Monument is quite the attraction for selfies, especially on Fridays, when the migrants celebrate their day off and gather at the esplanade: such exciting moments, when people dress up on their best and strike whimsical poses before the Pearl Monument.
The persistent repetition of portraits in the magnetic field of the Pearl pictures a string map of portraits with as many strings as the hundreds of Doha images that travel every Friday, from 16:00-23:00, and leave the Pearl to reach relatives’ homes, providing some evidence of a happy life.
“The Pearl” series honors the migrants’ individual expression, at the iconic Pearl Monument, and aims to raise questions about the complexities of contemporary labor migration in the region.