Of Armenian descent, Kegham Djeghalian (1915-1981) moved to Palestine in the 1930s where he eventually set up a photo studio in Gaza in 1944. A prominent photographer, he documented everyday life in the city through turbulent periods of transition until the 1970s. From studio portraits and family gatherings to images of refugee camps and military personnel, his work is varied, giving insight into the social and political development of Gaza in that period.
Hear his grandson, artist and educator Kegham Djeghalian Jr, take us through his archival research into the legacy of one of Gaza’s most important photographers. He will discuss notions of ‘disruption’ and the non-linear reading of Gaza’s potential histories offered by his grandfather’s work, as well as the urgent need to preserve the precarious visual histories and heritage of Gaza.
Moderated by writer and curator Rachel Dedman.
In Partnership with The Barakat Trust and the Armenian Institute.
Biographies
Rachel Dedman is the Jameel Curator of Contemporary Art from the Middle East at the V&A, London. From 2013-19, Rachel was an independent curator based in Beirut, Lebanon, curating exhibitions and working with artists across the Middle East, including for the Palestinian Museum in the West Bank.
In 2023/24, Rachel curated Material Power: Palestinian Embroidery for Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge, and The Whitworth, Manchester, on the cultural and political histories of Palestinian textiles and dress. She is also the author of two books on this subject. In 2024, Rachel is curating the seventh Jameel Prize at the V&A in London, and the State of Fashion Biennale in the Netherlands.
Kegham Djeghalian Jr is a Paris and Cairo based multidisciplinary visual artist, creative director, fashion practitioner and educator. He is a Professor of Fashion Studies, Image & Design, and the Artistic Director of the Fashion Design Department at the German International University (GIU). Djeghalian has been a faculty member at Paris College of Art (PCA) since 2016 and is one of the faculty members who premiered the Master of Arts program in Fashion Film and Photography in 2016. He was the Acting Pedagogic Director of the Master of Image Design in fashion at l’Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) in 2018 & 2019. He has consulted and collaborated with many fashion houses and designers the likes of Dior, Kenzo, Louboutin, Hermès, Okhtein, Dior MajaS. In 2014, his short film ‘To Schiap with Love’ was selected and shown at Diane Pernet’s ‘A Shaded View on Fashion Film 7’ at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 2020, he was appointed as the Creative Director of the Egyptian footwear brand Zee with a mission to revamp and restructure its identity, image and product.
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