MONDHER MEJRI منذر الماجري - Rediscovery through Revolution
For some, the struggle can act as a hindrance to finding one's true calling in life, however for Mondher Mejri, growing up in the underprivileged area of a country amidst a political revolt served as a catalyst for his work.
In our conversation with Mondher, the Tunis born photographer told us of how he began his artistic path and the variety of influences that he draws from to help shape his unique style.
“Faces are very strong features in photos, which I love, but from time to time I want to make the photo about something else, something more profound. ”
GATA: Hello Mondher, could you please introduce yourself to the GATA family?
Mondher: I was born and raised in an underprivileged neighbourhood of Tunis, but was fortunate enough to be immersed from an early age in cinema, literature and painting thanks to my feminist mother and painter uncle, Sadok Mejri. So art has always been my refuge.
I’m currently living in Lyon, France.
GATA: How significantly do you think growing up in Tunisia has shaped your work?
Mondher: The culture in Tunisia is highly community-oriented, which built my ability to be open-minded and close to people. Today this allows me to build great relationships with people I work with (models, designers, stylists, artists…) and create my own community.
GATA: Were you shooting back when you lived there? How did you start?
Mondher: I always knew I wanted to become a photographer but it’s during the 2011 Tunisian revolution that I actually started seriously taking pictures. I felt the need to document this major event that all the youth was taking part in. I knew it’s going to be a major turning point for my country but also for me, and it was. My photos were noticed by a gallery in Luxemburg and I was invited to have an exhibition there. It motivated me to continue pursuing a career as a photographer.
GATA: In some of your images, you cover the face of your models, with flowers or cloth. Why did you decide to do this? Is there a message that you are trying to convey?
Mondher: Faces are very strong features in photos, which I love, but from time to time I want to make the photo about something else, something more profound.
Covering faces allows me to shift focus from the face to another element (the body, the environment, the light…) and gives me more creative freedom. Sometimes I simply want to turn the subject anonymous and allow other people to recognize themselves more easily in the photo.
GATA: What is it that attracted you to portraits in particular?
Mondher: I’m a people-oriented person and I love learning about their lives, listen to their stories. Through portraits, I’m looking to capture their true essence, their authentic side.
GATA: Something that immediately catches attention in your portraits is the type of people in them. What do you look for in an ideal model?
Mondher: There is no one particular thing I’m looking for, it’s a matter of charisma, of uniqueness. I have no specific standard or criteria.
“I always knew I wanted to become a photographer but it’s during the 2011 Tunisian revolution that I actually started seriously taking pictures. I felt the need to document this major event that all the youth was taking part in. ”
GATA: Another feature of your work is the often sparse but striking backgrounds. Which comes first when planning a shoot?
Mondher: I’m highly inspired by my surroundings and the environment, so often the background influences the shoot. But it’s not always the case, sometimes the model inspires the background as well. There are no rules.
GATA: In a world filled with such clutter and excess, what message do you hope these photos portray?
Mondher: Something real and true, I focus the attention on what truly matters.
GATA: There is a documentary aspect to your work at times, it seems like you can capture people in an authentic and naturalistic way? Is this an important thing for you to achieve?
Mondher: It is the most important thing to me. This is why in my work process, it is very important to build good relationships with people I work with, build trust and a bond, which allows me to capture truly authentic moments.
GATA: Are there any other avenues of art that you are hoping to branch out into in the future?
Mondher: Only the future will tell.
GATA: The GATA team loves cinema and films, are there any movies or documentaries that have inspired you in the past?
Mondher: There are many but here are a few: Virgin Suicides by Sophia Coppola, Drive by Nicolas Winding Refn, No Country for Old Men by the Cohen Brothers, In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai, La Haine by Mathieu Kassovitz, all cinematography of Miyazaki.