ANTIQUE STORE STRANGERS

ANTIQUE STORE STRANGERS

LAYLA MOHAMED

in february, i went to a few antique stores with sandra and stumbled upon boxes and boxes of family photos. the store owners said that they were usually thrown away by old people who had died or their children who didn’t think the photos were worth keeping. i have trouble throwing things away, even when their significance in my life fades. there are six boxes of photos in my closet from the last year alone. still, i went home with over a dozen photographs of strangers and their families, curious about their stories, wanting to keep their laughter alive. here are some of my favorite photographs. i’m working on translating the czech text written on the back, and will be collaborating with reema motib on her ‘abandoned memories’ project in the future. these photos are so valuable - maybe not in terms of money - but they are celebrations, they are markers of love and pain and growth and filled with so much beauty. i hope they inspire you to document every detail, too.

LAYLA MOHAMED www.dearleyli.com ••• MEMORY ISSUE jaffatelaqlam.com 2016