Faadi: The Living Room

Event Info

Faadi/Y Stafell Fyw/The Living Room is an intergenerational photography and fashion project sharing intimate family settings within Somali Welsh homes.

There is an emphasis on celebration, with images of young local models in bridal wear and community members modelling cultural clothing such as Hidayah Dhaqan and Dirac, as well as images of brotherhood, soft masculinity and the traditional dance of Ciyaar Somali.

Around 40–50 community members participated in this shoot, either as models and dancers or by providing materials and traditional clothing. This is the first intergenerational project which showcases the Welsh Somali experience by emphasising the young women in the community. The revival of traditional dance Ciyaar Somali in the past year has been an excellent opportunity for younger community members to connect with their cultural heritage, and as it is a wedding and celebratory dance, we wanted to archive this very important moment for the Welsh Somali community in Cardiff.

Through the collaboration with Asma Elmi from Al Naeem, there was an emphasis on ensuring the images were framed as ‘high fashion’ and that they were of a high editorial standard, elevating the intimacy of cultural customs within the community with a framing that was celebratory and elegant.

This project is a collaboration between Asma Elmi, founder and creative director of Al Naeem, a magazine centering Black and Muslim fashion, photography and art; and Young Queens, an arts group for young Welsh Somali women from Cardiff, founded by Hayaat Women Trust with funding support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Open daily in Ffwrnais and Glanfa at Wales Millennium Centre.