The Crescent Moon
by Amaya Mahmud & Laila Nahar
The Crescent Moon is a collaborative book project between Laila Nahar and her niece, Amaya Mahmud (18) since 2021. The work reflects Amaya’s inner world using her painting/sketching/writing and photographs as she is struggling with eating disorders/Anorexia.
Amaya has been drawing consistently since she was a child. The drawings evolved over time and together with strong words it shows how Amaya’s feeling towards her body changed. Laila’s photographs and collages had been taken along the way. The young Amaya experience the world as a happy and flowery one, her drawings are compassionate. Laila’s photographs reflect the spirit and joyful encounters of her niece.
Then starts the storming phase in Amaya’s mind, while struggling with Anorexia her writings and drawings become a perception of herself and the world around her. A mind that is cast into darkness and despair, crying for help. In the world of TikTok, Instagram and other social media many children are now trapped into exploiting virtual worlds. Amaya too. But this is not only a dark story, but also a story of courage and compassion. Amaya struggled and fought. Her love for nature and deep compassion could not be suppressed. Her journey continues.
Amaya and I had been talking about this book since late 2021. I worked on different forms for the book. Susan Kae Grant’s ‘The Photo book as Art’ workshop in 2022 opened up many possibilities of the book form. Over the years, this has been evolving and the title changed from ‘Looking for Amaya’ to ‘The Pink Sky and The ‘WHY’ Mask’ and lastly ‘The Crescent Moon’. In a Magnum workshop in 2024, Carolyn Drake suggested that Amaya’s story needs to reach a broader audience. The book journey started taking new turns since then. In late 2024, at the Photobook Masterclass held at Reminders Photography Stronghold, I worked collaboratively with Teun van der Heijden, Sandra van der Doelen, and Yumi Goto on the concept, editing and art direction. The fundamental structure was set and the “The crescent moon” morphed into cohesion to tell the story of Amaya, a story that resonates in the hearts of countless children and adults. Please note that this book is still a work-in-progress.
Video of the latest book dummy https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1065215096
Recognition: 2025 FotoEvidence W Award Finalist