Meet Mobeen Ansari

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mobeen Ansari a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mobeen, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I lost my hearing, 3 weeks after I was born, due to severe meningitis. Hearing loss taught me so much about resilience and patience. I feel that it also translated into me becoming more empathic and played a major role in me being a visual artist and photographer- so I could see, feel and capture emotions.

As a photographer based in Pakistan, I have met some of the most resilient people who have risen above their challenges and emerged stronger. They have been a constant inspiration.

Throughout my childhood, my parents always reminded me that my hearing loss was a superpower and always discouraged me from calling my hearing loss a disability- but a challenge that would make me stronger, just like the people I’ve photographed.

I’m also very fond of travelling and trekking and climbing in the mountains of North Pakistan. These expeditions are also a major factor in teaching about resilience- be it against rough terrains, extreme weather conditions, and learning to survive. It has mirrored the way I deal with challenges in life.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m a photographer, filmmaker and artist from Islamabad, Pakistan. After attaining my BFA degree from the National College of Arts, I started working in the field, telling stories of Pakistan its people, promoting a diverse & poetic image of my country through my photos & films. As a photojournalist I focus on human interest stories and have extensively worked on topics of global health and migration.

I have published three photography books. My first one, ‘Dharkan: The Heartbeat of a Nation’, features portraits of iconic people of Pakistan from all walks of life. My second book, called ‘White in the Flag’ is based on the lives & festivities of religious minorities in Pakistan. Both these books have had two volumes published over the years. My third book is called ‘Miraas’ which is also about iconic people of Pakistan and follows ‘Dharkan’ as a sequel.

I have also made two silent movies; ’Hellhole’ is a black and white short film, based on the life of a sanitation worker, and ‘Lady of the Emerald Scarf’ is based on the life of Aziza, a carpet maker in Gulmit in Northern Pakistan.

I have exhibited in Pakistan & around the world, namely in UK, Italy, China Iraq, & across the US and UAE. My photographs have been displayed in many famous places as well, including Times Square in New York City. I’m also a recipient of the Swedish Red Cross Journalism prize for his photography on the story of FIFA World Cup football manufacture in Sialkot.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I have a background in fine arts and studied as a painter long before I became a photographer, although both my photography and fine arts run in parallel as painting helps me become a better photographer, and photography helps me become a better painter. So I feel that I understand photography and photojournalism- especially the storytelling aspect and use of light.

My advice to aspiring photographers would be to always look for inspiration and not to give up. Creative industry has its ups and downs and there’s always a lot to learn. I would not only try to improve my technical skills, but also keep reinventing how I can portray visually and get better a telling a story through a picture itself.

Due to my experience as someone with hearing loss, I regularly advise and give consultations to families and friends of those with hearing loss so they can understand and navigate this. It depends on the degree of hearing loss and on the learning curve the person is at, so my suggestions would vary from person to person, but I would encourage the families to be patient and know that people with hearing loss will always adapt and prove to be very successful and efficient.

Recently I’ve started getting into the art of storytelling. Before this I was always focused on telling the stories visually and recently I’ve started getting into writing. Although I’ve only just started, I feel that I have a bit of an understanding on how to tell a story and begin.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

I would spend every day in understanding how to improve hearing loss and other challenges that come with it. Technology and inclusion has come a long way since my diagnosis in 1980’s- so now there is much more literature and many more tools to cope with this. I would want to spend my time learning, re-learning and also passing on any knowledge that I have.

As a photographer, I would always want to get better and create art that would continue to transcend barriers- as that is one of the most powerful purposes of art.

I would also want to spend this time in collaborating with other people, and listen to more stories. For most of my life, I was introverted and have missed many conversations and interactions. Now, due to technology that can help me understand conversations e.g. Live Transcribe and better hearing aids, I want to change that and be more engaged.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mobeenansari.com
• Instagram: mobeenansariphoto
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mobeenart
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mobeenansari/
• Twitter: Mobeen_Ansari
• Youtube: @MobeenAnsari

Image Credits

Mobeen Ansari