Born in Bamako, Mali in 1993, I have been in love with photography for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories are framed in light and shadows, in quiet moments that spoke louder than words. Sensitive by nature, deeply emotional, and endlessly passionate about storytelling, I have always been drawn to the hidden corners of the human experience — the places people rarely show, the truths we carry quietly. My work seeks to venture into those intimate spaces, guiding the viewer not just to see, but to feel, to pause, to enter the universe of each subject with empathy and tenderness.
From Seydou Keïta to Nan Goldin and Sophie Calle, I draw inspiration from those who have dared to document both the poetry and the pain of existence. Their honesty, their eyes, their refusal to look away have helped me shape my own voice — a voice built on vulnerability, on closeness, on color and silence. My photographs are often layered with sound, memory, fragments of conversation. They are never just images — they are invitations.
In 2015, I received the Byblos Bank Award for Photography at the Beirut Art Fair, a moment that shaped my path and gave my voice space to speak louder. That same month, my series “Vulnerable Visits” found a home at Raw Talents in Beirut’s Art Factum gallery, and the journey began to unfold. In 2016, my first solo exhibition “Beyond Sacrifice” opened at the Byblos Bank Headquarters, blending photography and sound — a series that was later selected for the Amman Image Festival in Jordan.
As the years moved forward, I let my lens lead me — toward Beirut Art Fair once again, in a group show curated by Halida Boughriet; toward the Arab Documentary Photography Program, a six-month creative and investigative journey with the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, the Prince Claus Fund, and Magnum Foundation; toward spaces where art and life meet with honesty. In 2017, my photograph “Victoria” was exhibited during the 32nd Salon d’Automne at the Sursock Museum in Beirut — a space of dialogue, of art as argument and comfort. I continued to share stories — in Italy at Remomero, in New York at Blink and the New York Times Portfolio Review, in Greece at the Chania Photo Festival, where 320 photographers from around the world gathered, all holding on to different truths.
In 2019, my work travelled further — “Mediterranean” was shown in Portugal for the 10th edition of the Estação Imagem Award in Coimbra, and “Vulnerable Visits” continued its journey, finding ground in Morocco at Les Rencontres Photographiques de Rabat and later in France for the 19th edition of Phot’Aix, where Lebanon was the honored guest.
Alongside exhibitions, I have worked on journalistic assignments with publications like Bloomberg, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Intercept, Doctors Without Borders, The Global Human Rights, The National News, and Le Figaro — always guided by the belief that truth and empathy can live side by side. Since 2020, I’ve worked as a freelance photojournalist with Reuters, Worldvision, Fairpicture, Women Photograph, and Diversify Photo, bringing forward stories that are often left behind.
You can also contact me for prints by sending your order on carmenyahchouchi@gmail.com
