With the cooperation of @beitmisk and @virginradiolebanon , I am happy to announce my participation with @arneliartgallery in “THE LEBANESE ARTS & CULTURE SHOWCASE” at Beit Misk.

A carefully curated show with artists from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Armenia and Japan with more than 50 exquisite artworks.

The exhibition will present diverse artistic and intellectual projections on our optimistic and hopeful view on Lebanon, its culture, nature and future.

Mixed media paintings, photography, engravings and sculptures will be on display on July 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 from 5pm till 10pm at MiskTown.

All artists will be present from 7 - 9 pm on the opening on July the 2nd.

See you there!

I will be displaying some of my photos at this event. A2 size photos, signed and framed, will be available for purchase. Time & Date: 5 pm to 10 pm, 2-4 July, 9-11 July. Place: The Art District, Beit Misk, Downtown Beirut.

A collection of 60 photographs by a Japanese photographer Naoki Takyo and Rodorigue Zahr will take you to a virtual tour of closely-knit community life in Old Saida.

Following the success of the initial exhibition during Ramadan weeks, this exhibition reopens at Ishbilia Theatre & Art-Hub, Saida.

The exhibition is made possible thanks to UNDP, in partnership with Saida Municipality, DPNA, Ishbilia Theatre & Art-Hub and NGOs Platform of Sadia.

Read more on https://www.lebtivity.com/event/ligths-and-shadows-in-old-saida-reopens-at-ishbilia-theatre-art-hub

'At first, it felt like another visit to an exotic destination, but soon unexpectedly familiar feelings took over.

A sight of fresh vegetables and fruits on wagons, the scent of traditional confectioneries, colorful grains and spices in jute bags, a cobbler sharing coffee with his customer, tailors with vintage sewing machines, a man working on wood with manual tools, fishermen mending nets, elderlies watching over little ones playing in an alley illuminated by a streak of sun light. Traditional and closely-knit community life. Lights and shadows of Old Saida.

The scenes reminiscent of my early childhood were still alive inside the ancient walls. I was enchanted. Saida has held a special place in my heart ever since and I keep coming back. To collect more memories.

For me this photo exhibition is a way of expressing my gratitude to those who allowed me to capture a moment of their life with my camera. I hope that my perspective as a foreigner, moreover as a Japanese, presents a fresh view point to local audience and triggers their new discoveries of Old Saida’s charms.'

An open exhibition in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme, the Municipality of Saida and Development for People and Nature Association (DPNA). 60 photographs on display including 14 from UNDP's archive.

“At first, it felt like another visit to an exotic destination, but soon unexpectedly familiar feelings took over.

A sight of fresh vegetables and fruits on wagons, the scent of traditional confectioneries, colorful grains and spices in jute bags, a cobbler sharing coffee with his customer, tailors with vintage sewing machines, a man working on wood with manual tools, fishermen mending nets, elderlies watching over little ones playing in an alley illuminated by a streak of sun light. Traditional and closely-knit community life. Lights and shadows of Old Saida.

The scenes reminiscent of my early childhood were still alive inside the ancient walls. I was enchanted. Saida has held a special place in my heart ever since and I keep coming back. To collect more memories."

Robert De Niro presents the photo exhibition and auction - Brave: The Syrian Refugee Crisis through the Photographer's Lens) (Web link here). Photographs taken by Naoki Takyo, fellow photographers and Syrian refugee students who participated in their photography workshops in last autumn will be exhibited and auctioned in New York City.

Venue: Lisa Cooley gallery, Time: 6-9 pm, Thu, January 25, 2018. Free admission.

Since the outbreak of war in 2011, almost half of the Syrian population has been uprooted by the conflict, forced to leave their homes. Nearly two million fled to Lebanon. There, the Syrian people—children, families, teachers, doctors, the elderly, the sick, men and women of all kinds—have tried to rebuild their lives amid a senseless war, the disorientation of life as refugees, and the uncertainty of their futures. These millions have names, they have faces, they have fears, they have dreams.

BRAVE: The Syrian Refugee Crisis through the Photographer’s Lens is an exhibition organized by The Brave Project on behalf of the Kayany Foundation in order to share with the world the experience of life as a Syrian refugee. The exhibition features photographs both of and by the students who attend the schools that Kayany operates, and the children and families who live in the informal refugee camps that have formed in eastern Lebanon. The exhibition is open to the public and free of charge (though a suggested donation is appreciated).

On Thursday, January 25th, from 6-9pm, please join us for an evening event and auction where guests can bid to take home these beautiful, unique, and revealing photographs. Proceeds from the event will go toward the Kayany Foundation’s programs to ensure they can continue to provide education to Syrian children living as refugees in Lebanon. The Host Committee includes actress Vanessa Redgrave and Peter Brown, the former manager of the Beatles. Syrian activist George Batah will speak, offering his firsthand experiences of having to leave home because of the conflict. Music will be provided by renowned oud player Murat Keyder, and Syrian and Lebanese mezze, snacks, and drinks will be served courtesy of Brooklyn's Dar 525 Restaurant.

The exhibit will feature the work of photographers Naoki Takyo, Tarek Haddad, and Juan Sanchez, as well as the Kayany students, ages 8-14, who took part in photography workshops with them this past fall.

The exhibition will take place at the Lisa Cooley Gallery, 107 Norfolk Street, New York, NY 10002. (The Gallery is at the corner of Norfolk and Delancey Streets, just steps from the F, M, J, and Z trains at Delancey-Essex Street station).

• Please RSVP or contact info@thebraveproject.org with any questions or for more info. Thank you--we hope to see you there!

The information regarding this event is also available at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/events/2217131205181175/