Sheikh’s interest in photographing refugee communities
began after he visited Kenya in the early 1990s and documented the
refugee camps near the border with Somalia. He treats his subjects
as individuals, identifying them by name, and writing texts that
explain the political circumstances that forced them to leave their
home. Before taking photographs, he spends weeks living in the camps,
giving his work a genuine depth and engagement.
A Camel for the Son (2001) looks at the plight
of Somali women, who have endured assault and rape both during the
clan warfare in their homeland, and from the Kenyan guards in the
camps where they seek protection. Sheikh’s other work has
included portraits of Afghan refugees in northern Pakistan, a community
that he encountered after travelling to his grandfather’s
old home in Pakistan.
