Nayla Dabaji

Born on the 18 th of September 1979 in Beirut, Lebanon, Dabaji studied Psychology for a year and holds certificates in Multimedia and Audiovisual studies. In 2003 she obtained her DES, Diplome d'Etudes Superieures in Fine Arts from the Academie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts. She was the recipient of the Alexis Boutros Award. She has exhibited her work in several galleries in Lebanon including the Galerie Epreuve d'Artiste and the French Cultural Center. She has attended workshops in Lebanon and Europe.

During the Summer '06 Israeli seige on Lebanon, Dabaji started up a blog entitled THESE DAYS_LEBANON_SINCE_12_07_06.


"THESE_DAYS"

The war started the 12th of July 2006.
"THESE_DAYS" is its immediate reaction.
This project attempts to root itself mainly in this present time.
Before the 12th of July we had/or had not memories of life, dreams and ambitions.
Since the 12th of July, we feel pain; we have fears and lost hopes.
This period between the 12th of July and (.) is part of a time-lapse in the present where, I must admit to have a bulimic need for traces and exchange, as if multiplying communications with people could give me the hope of security, survival and resistance; And I feel it's urgent.


http://www.lebanonthesedays.blogspot.com/

"LANDMARK 2006"

"I have been taking this road almost everyday for 3 years. I have been taking this road almost twice a day. I am still taking this road almost everyday. Not a single bomb fell on this road during the war; so I try to walk slowly."

This image is part of an ongoing series of photographs based on the psychological effect of the war in my daily life. After the cease-fire, I found myself in the difficulty of apprehending the reality. This road, taken from two directions, doesn't look the same anymore. By photographing it in the most ordinary way, I try to question its potential change.