John Ibrahim: Portrait of a Friend

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Photography and Text by John Ibrahim

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Eclipse

eŸclipse – (Greek) the darkening of a heavenly body 

I found George sitting alone on the stairs, physically trapped between the wall and the banister. Lately, I’ve been seeing him like this quite frequently. It had been a long time since he last saw E, his girlfriend. They’ve been dating for quite some time now, but ever since E left town to complete one of her art projects George has been very reserved.

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Thinking of her would put George at ease, but it also increased his longing for her. In her absence, George kept only to himself. As George sat stationary, I sensed that he viewed his life with limited options.

But today, E would be visiting, and this surprise completely transformed George.

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For George, seeing E was like seeing the sunlight.

eŸclipse – George, the moon. And E, the sun.

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George studied physics and E studied art, and united together, they were a masterpiece. Without E, George lived his life cautiously and calculated, but whenever he was with E, he was as free as a paintbrush on a blank canvas. He was relaxed and had a lively spirit, with his full embrace of life mirroring his full embrace of E. I loved seeing George like this, but I knew that E would eventually have to leave to return to her work.

When she did leave, George returned back to his quiet self, but with an added sense of thoughtfulness. Seeing E had rejuvenated him.

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Photography and text by John Ibrahim, Copyright 2015


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