Photo of the Week: Amina Kadous

A vast grey interior, lit from above and seen from a low angle, makes Amina Kadous’ photograph feel almost otherworldly. A lone figure stands at its centre, dwarfed by a brutalist structure whose monumental scale is difficult to take in all at once. The perspective does the work, pulling our gaze upward and leaving us to wonder where, when and how such a place exists.

The image comes from Kadous’ ongoing exploration of Egyptian cotton, its histories and the layers of colonial and state narratives woven into it. Her long-term project White Gold brings together first-person accounts, personal and found archives, documents, objects, oral histories and photographs to recover overlooked stories and reconnect communities with their own pasts.

Kadous’ work has received international recognition, including the Centre Soleil d’Afrique Prize, Madame Figaro Photography Prize, Contemporary African Photography Prize and Global Focus Award. She was also selected for the 2025 World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass.

This photograph takes us inside the Misr Spinning and Weaving Company in El Mahalla El Kubra, one of Egypt’s historic industrial centres, where scale, architecture and the human figure create something that feels almost unreal.

What’s the story behind this image? Where and when was it taken?

This photograph was taken inside one of the plant stations within the Misr Spinning and Weaving Company in El Mehalla El Kubra.

Growing up, I had always seen these towering structures from a distance as they were always part of the landscape of my city, yet they remained inaccessible and mysterious. Stepping into it for the first time, I was overwhelmed by its monumental scale.

Surrounded by its imposing brutalist architecture, I felt incredibly small, almost like a single cell inside a vast living organism. Standing in the centre is the former director of the textile mill, who took me on a tour through the factory.

Why did you choose this particular image?

From everything I have photographed, this image is the one that most often makes people stop, think and question whether the place is real, how the image was taken, and what they’re looking at.

Many associate it with science fiction films because of its surreal, almost futuristic atmosphere. In trying to decipher the architecture, they often miss the person standing at the centre. It is only after a second glance that the human presence becomes visible, revealing the immense scale of the space.