Ghaleb Cabbabé was born in Beirut in 1978 during the Civil War. When his parents moved to Paris in 1982, they were unable to secure him a place at school. Eager to “console” him, his aunt, a photographer, blessed him with his first prized camera. Her love of photography was contagious; he soon caught the bug.
A trained architect, Ghaleb lived in inspirational environments such as Oman and Vietnam before carrying several missions for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Afghanistan, South Sudan, Congo, and Sri Lanka. He is now based in Geneva.
In 2012, he studied photography at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Ghaleb won the Byblos Bank Award for Photography in 2013. In 2016, 2018 and 2020, he was shortlisted at Athens Photo Festival and his work was among the top-rated entries in the Magnum Photography Awards and Lens Culture submissions. Ghaleb’s work has also been featured in The Photographic Journal, Aint-Bad and Fotofilmic magazines, and exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Beirut, Paris, and Prague.
He strives to express his personal impression through singular formal but also narrative choices which gives him a specific writing, including in his documentary work.
2021
“Sunday” series published in Fotofilmic JRNL 10.
“Sunday” series published in Aint-Bad magazine.
“Sunday” series featured in National Geographic Thailand.
Winner of Wipplay – Liban, une histoire d’amour photography contest.
2020
Work published in the book “An Ageless Lebanon”
“Sunday” series shortlisted at Athens Photo Festival.
“Telephoto” series published in Vice Arabia.
“Sunday” series published in Vice Arabia.
2019
“Move to Trash” series exhibited at Regards Croisés – Phot’Aix Festival in Aix-en-Provence.
2018
“A story like any other” series: Exhibited at Fotofever Paris.
Work curated to VSCO Selects – a showcase of exceptional community content from around the world.
Winner of This Ain’t Art School assignment organized in collaboration with the Bundeskunsthalle – The Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany.
“A story like any other” series: Shortlisted at Athens Photo Festival.
2017
“Wholesale” series shot in Tokyo: Featured in The Photographic Journal.
2016
“Ahlein” series shortlisted at Athens Photo Festival.
“Home” series: Top rated entries of Magnum Photography Awards & Featured in The Photographic Journal.
“New World”: Group exhibition curated by French artist Halida Boughriet at Beirut Art Fair.
“Red Line” series: Top rated entries of Lens Culture Street Photography Awards.
2015
“Move to Trash” series: Group exhibition at Beirut Art Fair.
2014
“Ahlein” series: Solo exhibition at Byblos Bank Headquarters & Group exhibition at Beirut Art Fair.
2013
“PRG / BEY / PRG“ series: Solo exhibition at Velryba Gallery in Prague & Group exhibition at Beirut Photo Fair.
Winner of Byblos Bank Award for Photography at Beirut Art Fair.
2012
Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU) / Photography
2004
École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC Paris) / Management
2003
Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (ALBA) / Architecture
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