But the Flag is the One and Only
But the Flag is the One and Only
By Youmna Jazzar Medlej
In Artworks
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Item details:
▸ Features: Limited Edition Framed▸ Materials: Paper
▸ Art technique: Photography
▸ Dimensions (cm): 44.5 x 54.0 x 2.0
▸ Net Weight (kg): 2.1
Youmna's photos tell the urban story through three events and the environment. This photo is part of her collection.
Throughout their history, the Lebanese have been migrants. Poverty, wars, famine, and the search for a normal life have driven them to go abroad. When Lebanon was under Ottoman rule, the Lebanese carried Turkish papers and were known as the 'Turcos' in the Americas. Even today, Lebanese people continue to migrate, and many still move within Lebanon, depending on the various crises and challenges they face.
This scene captures a lot of that history. The red in the flag represents the blood shed, while the Cedar tree symbolizes strength and resilience. For both Lebanese citizens and expatriates, it is the perfect, beautiful flag. By keeping it in color and alone, I aim to tell the two different stories—that even if we struggle and suffer, we have that one flag that unites us.
About Youmna Jazzar Medlej
From her first photography course at school, Youmna Jazzar Medlej knew it would be her medium of self-expression. She pursued photography at EFET in Paris and worked for years as a freelance photographer and journalist, capturing the beautiful, positive, and intriguing aspects of culture, history, art, street art, and design.
Youmna collaborated with magazines, enterprises, and schools, and wrote and published Lebanese heritage books to share her deep knowledge of Lebanon.
Amidst chaotic times, while everything was in turmoil, Youmna strongly wanted to express her deep emotions and personal perspective through her lens. She found her photographic theme in the events unfolding around her. It wasn't about technique but about capturing feelings and experiences, the resilience of her people, and the stories of chaos, COVID-19, and the devastating explosion on August 4th. She roamed the streets, seeking out these moments, using photography as a form of therapy to alleviate sadness, fear, and suffering—a means of survival.
Youmna continues to follow this path, taking on the challenge while occasionally sharing pictures on Facebook that bring happiness and spark interest among her followers.