A PHOTOGRAPHER from Glasgow has won a prestigious international award for her work capturing how food can connect people with their home and local communities.
The winners of The World Food Photography Awards were announced on Tuesday, with Glasgow’s own Sadia Sikandar claiming the top two spots in the “home” category at the esteemed event in London.
Photographers from more than 30 countries, including the likes of Australia, Switzerland, Malaysia, and the Philippines, all travelled to the annual award ceremony with the finalists' work shown at the Mall Galleries in the English capital.
Sikandar scooped the top prize for her entry in the UK for UNHCR Food as Home category, which aimed to showcase how food and eating can evoke or represent home for those who have been forced to flee, whether from violence, conflict, or persecution.
The 29-year-old, who sought asylum in the UK six years ago from Pakistan, explained how for many refugees, food can help build both a connection with their home country and a sense of belonging somewhere new.
The award-winning photographer said that she scoured Glasgow to find people who would be willing to be subjects in her art for the competition.
“You cannot imagine how many places I have been to request them so that I can take the photographs,” Sikandar told The Sunday National.
However, it wasn’t too long until the owner of an Algerian restaurant, based in Glasgow’s south side, said she was more than happy to be photographed by Sikandar.
Located on Allison Street in Govanhill, Qasba has quickly become one of the city’s most talked about and beloved restaurants with its offering of North African and Middle Eastern dishes with a focus on Algerian cuisine.
“Whenever I went over there, I felt at home,” Sikandar said.
Adding: “I went to a lot of places, but not all the owners come out.”
However, with Qasba’s Algerian owner, Louisa Boulazreg, it was different as she often spoke with her.
“It makes you feel like you also come from the community where they are,” Sikandar said.
Sikandar said she enjoyed having “chit chats” with Boulazreg about all sorts of “random topics,” which helped build trust between the pair and led to great chemistry when they started shooting.
“To feel safe and open up in every conversation. This place made me feel at home, and that led me to build that trust, and she gave me permission to photograph her.”
With more than 12 years of photography experience and a master's degree in fine art, Sikandar said she spent a lot of time working on the scene's composition, adding that it was an important element helping to tell the story of home comforts that she wanted to convey.
Along with her winning submission, Sikandar wrote: “While living in the UK, away from home for seven years, ‘home’ no longer represents a geographical space for me.
“It is a place I go to where I feel welcome, valued, and able to make good memories.
“This is a place I pass by whenever I have time; I sit with the restaurant owner, and we gossip and laugh a lot. The place and the people make me feel at home.”
Sikandar explained that throughout the whole process of getting the winning picture, Boulazreg had the utmost belief in her as an artist.
“When I photographed her, she said to me, even before I had finished, you will win it. You will win it,” she said.
Despite only being allowed to take one person to the award show in London, Sikandar said she knew she just had to take Boulazreg, as if it wasn’t for her, she may not have won.
“She's [Boulazreg] feeling so blessed and honoured that it's a very big platform that I invited her, rather than my close friend, because I know how much she was worth it,” Sikandar said.
However, unbeknownst to Sikandar at the time, she would go on to not only claim first place in her category at the World Food Photography Awards but also the runner-up spot as well.
Unlike the meticulous setup for the Qasba shot, Sikandar’s picture of Mandi & Sweet House captured the establishment's owner in the midst of a busy rush hour while serving customers.
“He was in the process of making baklava and some sweets. I did not tell him to do this for me,” Sikandar said.
“He was already doing that when I entered his restaurant, and I said, ‘just keep doing it’.”
She added: “It was very much like he's in the moment, it was very different.
“I wanted to capture the way he felt relaxed and within the environment.”
Sikandar said she watched and photographed Mandi & Sweet House’s owner during “every step” for around an hour while he filled customer orders.
Known for its Middle Eastern treats, the Yemen owner of Sauchiehall Street’s Mandi & Sweet House was also more than happy to help Sikandar with her submission for the competition, even though it was “really busy”.
Sikandar: “When he started garnishing, I had to tell him two to three times, ‘slowly, slowly, you’ve got to garnish slowly so that I capture the moment’.”
“I'm really blessed that he gave me a little bit of time to be able to photograph the best moments while he was in the process of making some sweets.”
Sikandar said she was “honoured” to be, that she believes, the first winner from Scotland for the award, adding that she was proud to represent the country on an international platform in front of the world.
She initially lived in Newcastle when she first came to the UK, but moved to Glasgow two years ago, and has since grown to call the city home.
“I moved to Glasgow because I love Scottish people and the culture,” Sikandar said.
“This place attracted me, it makes me feel more at home. That's why I'm really happy living over here.”
She added: “I'm receiving so much love and support from fellow photographers, from many politicians, including Paul Sweeney, and I'm so blessed to have such a supportive system and encouraging atmosphere around me.
“Every time I achieve any success or move towards any kind of journey towards achieving anything. They all support me and encourage me.”
Following her win, Sikandar said that “every single person came up to me, and they congratulated me”.
Adding: “Other photographers, even world-famous chefs, also the host, they gave me so much respect.
“I'm still living in that moment. It’s like a dream.
“I could not sleep for the last two days because of so much joy.”
