Sabiha Çimen
Artist text follows.
More information on the body of work:
“Hafiz” refers to a person who has memorised all 604 pages of the Koran, a process which can take many years for an individual to achieve and is taught in thousands of Koran schools all over Turkey and other countries. Sabiha Çimen went to such a school herself when she was a young girl; she conveys this experience in her series by visiting girls’ schools in five Turkish cities over three years to complete her project, offering an intimate and colorful view of growing up in this cosmos, its cultural and religious dimensions. By showing the daily life of the students – ranging from concentrated studying to leisurely playing, Çimen captures the bond between the young women and explores questions of identity, visibility and representation.
Biographical information
1986
born in Istanbul, Turkey
2015
Masters degree international trade and finance at Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey
2020
becomes a member at photo agency Magnum Paris
2022
receives the First PhotoBook Award of the Paris Photo–Aperture Foundation
lives in Istanbul, Turkey and New York City, USA