My name is Thuraya Shlebak, I specialise in set-design, styling and photography. I tell stories from my own memories through bright colours, surrealism and cultural narrative. The final, still-life photographic series is titled ‘Happy Daze in the Shams’, shams is arabic for sun. Happy Daze is a play on happy days- the notion of ‘looking back’ on a time we admire the most, for me that would be the late 1960’s and 70’s. I’ve been drawn to surrealism and art deco/1960’s infused interiors for many years, so much so, that it directed my FMP to capture surrealism in the every-day but through a retro lens. The sets include domestic and artificial ones, food native to my heritage and colour block clothing. Most final photographs were taken using direct sunlight, paying homage to the name of the series and also the bright sunny climate of my North African heritage.
