Inclusivity and diversity shines through the International Photography Festival ‘Xposure’ yet again this year, as it offers its prestigious global platform to turn the world’s attention to fresh artistic perspectives presented by exceptionally talented female photographers – students of the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD) at University of Sharjah – who are showcasing their graduation projects in an eight-part exhibition titled “Realms of the Experimental”.

The exhibition comprises “Embodiment” by Khoula Hamad; “Room of Confusions” by Layla Doueidi; “A Better World Totentanz” by Mariam Al Khoori; “Fabric of the Memory” by Haya Hosnia; “Uncanny Stills” by Hala Abora; “The Show of Hands” by Shaina Shirazi; “the Strange and Familiar” by Alina Al Hassan; and finally, a spellbinding collection “Sensory” by Nour Kzar.

Avant-garde pieces in which the young artists have focused on subjects and stories that matter to them, and presented recurring themes that have been hindering women across societies to reach their full potential through their unique artistic visions that range from contemporary art, conceptual photography, staged photography to other experimental mixed projects.

In “Embodiment”, for instance, Khoula photographs women performing everyday actions, but all her subjects’ heads are amputated. Through these images, the young photographer is challenging the stereotype of judging a woman’s qualities just by her beauty and apperance.

The human ability to identify with someone else’s point of view is another theme depicted in Layla Doueidi’s “Room of Confusions” – a set of gloomy empty rooms which symbolise human predicaments, mental battles, fear of exclusion, the denial of love and other human emotions.

In “A Better World Totentanz” Mariamcaptures the chaotic consumption-oriented world where material possessions determine a person’s status, while

Through their well-thought-through exhibitions, these young women are not just sharing their unique stories and life perspectives, but are reinforcing an artist’s vital role in triggering human understanding and empathy.

Xposure 2023 is celebrating a number of renowned women visual artists including Alia Sultan Aljoker, Karen Zusman, Swee Choo Oh, and Whitney Johnson to name a few.

For more information on Xposure and the daily insightful and mesmerising events and exhibitions visit;https://xposure.ae/