The Mirror Project by Julia Massow in Hamburg

"What is Iraq like today – after decades of war and ongoing IS occupation? What stories are being told by people in the self-governed region of Kurdistan about their past and present, and how do they view the future? How are Iraqis living in other parts of the country, where terror isn’t an everyday occurrence? These questions are what drew me to northern Iraq in December 2016. I travelled to find answers, and get a glimpse behind the Western world’s often one-sided perspective." [ Kevin McElvaney ] Through interviews, photographer Kevin McElvaney gained intimate access to his subjects. He placed them alone in a room with a two-way mirror concealing the camera, prompting them to answer a series of personal questions. The social experiment culminated with the subjects being asked to contemplate their future in silence while looking into the mirror, providing a powerful moment of self-reflection captured on screen. This poignant silence invites viewers to gaze into the eyes of the interviewees, prompting reflection on what these individuals experience during those moments, and potentially altering the viewer’s own perceptions. I was tasked with drawing these individuals. Without prior knowledge of the protagonists, I sifted through the video footage to capture the most poignant expressions of each face, aiming to bring the depth of their stories to life through my illustrations.