Ammar Abd Rabbo
Ammar Abd Rabbo | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1966 Damascus, Syria |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, photographer |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | War zone photography, portraits of political leaders and celebrities, coverage of cultural events |
Ammar Abd Rabbo
Ammar Abd Rabbo (), born in 1966 in Damascus, Syria, is a journalist and photographer holding French-Syrian nationality.
After moving to France in 1978, Abd Rabbo began extensive reporting throughout the Arab region during the 1990s, covering countries such as Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, and Syria. His photographic work has appeared in leading outlets like Time, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and Bild.
Spanning over 25 years, his career includes portraits of political leaders, war zone documentation in Iraq, Lebanon, and Libya, as well as capturing images of celebrities including Michael Jackson. He has also chronicled significant cultural events such as the Cannes Film Festival and Paris Fashion Week.
Abd Rabbo’s solo exhibitions have featured both press photography and artistic studies of the human form. A notable example is his 2012 Beirut exhibition "Coming Soon," which showcased silhouettes of pregnant women designed to challenge societal views on pregnancy.
He is acclaimed for memorable photographs like those of Stephen Hawking and the cover image of Benazir Bhutto for Time published after her assassination.
In August 2015, his work was included in Dismaland, a temporary art event curated by Banksy in England.
In December 2016, Abd Rabbo released a French-language book titled "ALEP A Elles Eux Paix," focusing on wartime Aleppo.
Acknowledging his impact on arts and journalism, the French government honored him with the title "Knight of Arts and Letters" in 2017.
Since 2018, he has been a regular contributor to "Daraj," producing Arabic-language video content that explores misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Exhibitions
- "Love Stories" (group exhibition) – 61, Paris, 2010
- "20–40, 20 ans, 40 photos" (individual show) – Centre Culturel Français, Damascus, January 2011
- "Coming Soon" (solo exhibition) – Ayyam Gallery, Beirut, February 2012
- "Follow The Leader" (solo presentation) – Ayyam Gallery, Dubai, June 2012
- "The Sea Is My Land" (group display) – MAXXI Museum, Rome, July 2013
- "At My Feet" (collective exhibition) – Cindy Glass, Beirut, November 2013
- "Cris-Action" (group event) – Institut du monde arabe, Paris, May 2014
- "ALEP : À Elles, Eux, Paix !" (solo show) – Gallery Europia, Paris, November 2014; lycée Marguerite de Navarre, Alençon, March 2015
- "My Voice Rings Out for Syria" (group exhibition) – Gallery BOX Freiraum, Berlin, May 2015
- "Dismaland" (group exhibition), curated by Banksy, Weston-super-Mare, August 2015
- "Syria Off Frame" (collective display) – Benetton Foundation, Venice, August 2015
- "The Naked Truth" (individual exhibition) – Ayyam Gallery, Beirut, October 2015
- "ALEP : À Elles, Eux, Paix !" (solo presentation) – Katara Cultural Village, Doha, March 2016
- "D'Une Méditerranée L'Autre" (group show) – FRAC PACA, Marseille, November 2016