Bnar Sardar is a freelance Photojournalist from Kurdistan, a storyteller for seven years working in the refugee’s camps in Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan. Bnar started working on September 1st, 2009, with the Metrogarphy agency, which was the first Iraqi Agency for photography aiming to establish a thriving photography and photojournalism industry in Iraq that breaks down ethnic, cultural, and religious learning; and celebrates Iraq’s diversity and history by telling its story through editorial and commercial photography, videography, and multimedia productions.
Bnar was a trainer in the Raza Visual Academy in Paris and has taken part in exhibitions in various countries, including the UK, Norway, France, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan. The UNHDR selected Bnar as a middle east photojournalist after an exhibition in Venice, Italy. Bnar has also had works published in New York times, BBC, Lemond and was awarded a bronze medal in Egypt for a photo about FGM (Female Genital Mutilation).
Having been a refugee twice, in my experiences; “We are in the middle of a humanitarian crisis in my country, and I want to make efforts to help deliver this message to the world. I am driven to connect with people, especially women and children. I listen to their stories and do my best to document them with dignity. When I photograph people in need, it helps to tell them that I am a refugee myself. This added perspective put us on the same level – I know, they know, I understand.”
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