‘Qamar Blue’

Creative direction and words by Basil Firea, photographed by me.

“Inspired by the Sudanese civil war that broke out in early 2023. Within this piece, I aim to influence a change in the public perception of Sudan as the majority of mainstream media coverage depicted it as a country constantly bleeding. In 2019, a similar situation had occurred and the colour blue was used to represent solidarity with Sudan across the globe. The visual language of the works were inspired by the movie, Moonlight (2016).

‘In moonlight, black boys turn blue.’ The film presents the idea that black children are pressured by society from an early age to fit into a particular mould. Their existence is insufficient and experiencing youth is a display of weakness. They are not able to intrinsically explore themselves and they must take upon overly masculine roles to defend themselves. Only in fleeting moments, whether it be of isolation or independence, black boys are able to experience themselves, and in turn, finally become blue. The works depict an idea of a blue Sudan; a country unrestricted by the men of war.”