Youssef

Everything fleeting is merely a symbol ~ Goethe

I met Youssef on the long minibus ride from Cairo to the Oasis town of Bahariya. Born in Syria, raised in Egypt, educated in Austria and living in Germany, Youssef was truly a multinational. During the long journey we talked about everything from politics to religion, Hafez to Goethe, in English and German. He had a certain wisdom about him, the sort that comes with wordly experience. This photo was taken at one of the many stops along the way. Youssef, having travelled this route numerous times before led me up a rock feature and chipped away at the surface revealing beautiful crystals beneath. As I was chiselling away at the crystals, he stood up and loudly recited a line from Faust, that echoed across the barren desert. Every photo has a story.