It is probably necessary to grow up, to pass to adulthood
Still, things have to be done smoothly and at the right time
Sometimes life moves faster than me
Perhaps I placed my father on a pedestal as a role model my entire life; the idol of which collapses on itself.
But the bond breaks, and the world collapses.
An 83-year-old character, a father, divorced, who uses a nickname ‘King Soleil Man’, is a portrayal of a narcissistic, unstable individual who has been living in a trance like state his entire life. His story seemed like a theatrical representation of himself, a collage of symbols that put the pieces of his narration together.
My first impression of King Soleil Man was a positive one. He made me see his life as a luxury that most men would desire. As I began to observe him closely, it became apparent that he is a complicated individual with many anxieties, weaknesses and confusion.
Inside King Soleil Man journal, one can find an intimate recollection of affairs with only African foreign workers that provide him with sexual and domestic care. King Soleil Man is in constant search for affection which he seems to expresses by sending virtual flowers through social media to each of his women.
With time, I started receiving those flowers and I suddenly became another character in King Soleil Man’s play. I wasn’t a photographer anymore but a woman trapped in his actions, hesitations and ambiguities.
My series questions my own position as a female photographer over the patriarchal Lebanese society and the conditions of housekeepers in Lebanon. “King Soleil Man” takes us out of our comfort zone, since his story forces us to question the fine line dividing the personal and the public.
