Arab Ink: Photo Series Uses Tattoos as a Means for Cultural Education

Perceptions of life in the Middle East have been tarnished for decades, and that view has been gaining more traction in recent years. To some on the outside looking in, life in the region is defined by wars, death, destruction and images of its inhabitants running for cover to other parts of the world. However, unlike what you may often see on television or on the front pages of newspapers, the Middle East is full of regular folks like yourself who go to work, school, shopping, and there are even a large number of people who go out and get tattooed—marking their bodies with symbols of love, peace, poetry lines and religious texts.

Jordanian photographer-videographer, Bashar Alaeddin, recently launched a photo documentary, appropriately titled Arab Ink Project, which he hopes will shed light on a side of the Arabic culture that is not often seen, and he is doing so through art and design with a focus on tattoos.

Flip through the slideshow below to view more photos from the Arab Ink Project, and to read more about the inspiration behind it.