Azaadi: A Senior Narrative Book Jacket by Radhika Gupta (2016)

Azaadi (the feminine form of the Hindi word for ‘freedom') is the story of a girl struggling with her identity as a Muslim woman in America. When my protagonist, Aisha, goes off to college, she views it as a chance to start over, a chance to be a different person. After a fateful encounter with a stranger, she realizes that her identity is a huge part of her, something she is not willing to leave behind. The story ends with Aisha at the airport, a ticket to Jeddah (home of Mecca, a holy place for Muslims) in hand, ready to rediscover her roots.

In Photoshop I was able to combine two images to create a double exposure effect. I photographed my model looking to the side with her face covered, a bit apprehensive, suggesting an internal struggle. I used an image of a mosque because that is iconography that is easily tied to her Muslim identity. Birds are often thought of as free animals so I felt the juxtaposition of the birds and the mosque symbolized the freedom and peace she finds in her religion.