Rada Akbar

"I don't photograph subjects. I photograph the way they make me feel. Admittedly, it's a bit of a strange concept. But it's honest - and it's the best way to describe my approach to the craft. I wrestle with every image I shoot. I assume perfection is possible and I want to wring it out of every picture. As a female Afghan artist, I am responsible for serving my people and convince our society that Afghan women are in the position to work in this field and gain achievements."

Rada Akbar was born in 1988 in Afghanistan. She has always expressed herself through art and works with many different ways of expression, and her paintings and photographic work have been internationally exhibited. Originally, she started out as a painter and participated in a wide variety of exhibitions. But step by step she gained interest in documenting everyday life of the Afghan people with her camera, and photography became her profession. Akbar has made two documentary films describing the life and hardship of Afghan women. One of her documentaries "Shattered Hopes" was selected for The Panorama Hindukusch-Film Festival in Köln, Germany 2009. Currently, she works with GIZ-BEPA (Basic Education Program for Afghanistan), and she hopes her success can inspire other Afghan women.