Photographer Samo Rera was travelling through Egypt’s Sinai when his eyes caught a glimpse of her –and couldn’t help but get hypnotized. “Like a magnet, she swiftly pulls you towards her. Like a tornado, she will engulf you in and blow you away. Whether she was just a cheeky little girl, the daughter of a genie or a dangerous psychopath, this beautifully mysterious 16-year-old girl would always leave a footprint where ever she passes,” says his partner Sarah Abdo as Rera’s photo series go viral online.
This enigmatic Egyptian girl, whose name nobody knows but whose eyes no one forgets, has spent the past year living in Sinai, having abandoned the hustle of Cairo for a more peaceful lifestyle, obtaining accommodation in exchange for work. “Everything and everyone felt like home and family to her. In a short period of time, she had built a life of her own and developed relationships with everyone: starting with the tribes’ leaders to the humble workers, tourists and even mere passengers,” Abdo says.
Following her footsteps as her free spirit gracefully unfolded, Rera captured her every movement in a photo series as powerful as Steve McCurry’s iconic Afghan girl. “Her blue eyes reflect the sea with all its might, power and mystery, calm yet rebellious and destructive. She was dressed in Bedouin patterns in the form of kaftans and abayas, comfortably moving around oblivious to the dangers of the desert”.
For more information: Visit Samo Rera‘s Facebook page.