Growing up in Marseille, photographer Yosra experienced the fusion of Tunisian and french culture. Her work has inspired many people on social media and is picking up many viewers from around the world who share the same identities as well as perception towards photography and representation.
Yosra is a digital marketer and has worked in the industry for over 10 years. Growing up ,Yosra appreciated the different cultural influences in France, and has always enjoyed documenting this via photography. Her vision and identity have work hand in hand. Speaking with Yosra we talk about artistic perspectives and growing up with challenges within our communities and she speaks to me about the role in photographer for her and her community.
I discovered my passion for photography at 27. I’ve always been fascinated by images. Since I was a child I loved collecting postcards, making collages, but never considered being a photographer. I didn’t grow up with these artistic perspectives. As a daughter of immigrant parents, like many kids, I was strongly oriented towards “stable” and lasting jobs. One day, I discovered a speech that changed my mind about hobbies and work, The Stanford Speech by Steve jobs. It helped me understand what I want for myself. I count myself to be a hypersensitive person, and I’ve been overflowing with creativity since my childhood. Photography helps me to express my emotions, and focus my creativity.
I am inspired mostly by people. Connections, love and emotions are at the centre of my work. I used to create a ‘mood’ for every shoot, select a playlist, a story, create moodboards to translate the ideas I want to share. However, for personal shoots, I take time to get to know my clients by asking them a lot of questions to learn about them. The human aspect takes a big part of my time, and I love that.
Have there been any influences along the way?
JR is one of the photographers that influence my approach to photography. I admire the fact that he combines stories, engagement and art. It shows me a different and new way to communicate and engage people in change by creating new perspectives.
For me, cameras/gear does not make a good photographer. It’s more a question of feelings, emotions and the message/ story you want to share. For me, a good photographer is somebody who has an open mind, open to the world, differences, which is very linked to curiosity. LRNCE, Jacquemus, Casablanca, Bakchic the label, are the persons/ brands that would love to work with. Their universe is so inspirational. They innovate in the creation and build a strong identity that I love.
Poetry is the main value that drives me and my work. Poetry in the interactions with people, choosing the rights words, and the right way to respect people. Poetry in the way to shoot, by giving a beautiful and soft eye. Poetry by being open-minded, and not judging humans, trying to give my best to satisfy the people who I work with.
What challenges have you faced in the creative world?
The main challenge that I faced is to find my style. It took so much time to find my way, my colour pallet and assume it by showing my work. It’s so easy to find inspiration, but more complex to make your own sauce and not simply copy. I took so much time before showing my work as an effect of the impostor syndrome, trying to be legitimate as an artist.
Behind The Veyla
The “Behind The veyla” shooting is a project done in collaboration with Zozoliina, a designer from Marseille who entrusted me with the creation of a communication campaign to highlight the Veyla scarves. These flowery scarves are iconic accessories that our mothers and grandmothers wore.
I had the full power to imagine a project that could tell the story of these scarves that are iconic for a whole generation of women. It is a project that echoes my history, that of my aunts and my grandmothers wore in Tunisia, my neighbours in Marseille (where I grew up), these women who are gypsies, Algerians, Moroccans, Comorians. This scarf is not a simple accessory, it is a symbol that young women of my generation wear even today.I thought about this campaign as a spotlight on all these women, who from the shadows transmit, educate, exist, in the power of their invisibilities. Sharing the same story about immigration and living in working-class neighbourhoods.
Behind the Veyla is an ode to women in all aspects of diversity, to those who have built and rebuilt, who share, educate, influence and transmit. Behind the city walls, it is these women who hold power.- Yosra
What one piece of advice would you give to young people today?
Dare sister! No matter what people think. Don’t wait for people’s validation around you. Express yourself, you have so much to say and share. Get to learn, always!
Follow Yosra’s work on Instagram and please check out her photography services!
