Gaza's First Photographer Lives On in Marseille Exhibition
Kegham Djeghalian's grandfather was the first photographer in Gaza, and this exhibition traces his unfinished archive.
Gaza's first photographer survived the Armenian genocide in 1915, arrived in Palestine in the 30s, and opened the first photo studio in Gaza in 1944. Now his grandson, visual artist Kegham Djeghalian, is presenting his work in Marseille.
The exhibition 'Photo Kegham of Gaza: Unboxing an Unmade Archive' is part of the Saison Mediterranee 2026, presented in partnership with Egypt's Photopia and Cairo Photo Week. In an interview with CairoScene, Djeghalian recounts his grandfather's story, sharing the name of his namesake: Kegham Djeghalian Senior. He guides the camera to a wall of photos displaying his ancestors.
"This exhibition is a way of reconnecting to my genealogy," Djeghalian says. His aunt beamed, the daughter of Djeghalian Sr. "Of course I am proud of my nephew," she smiles in a room that maps out her lineage.
Beyond their family story, Djeghalian displayed photographs of scenes in Gaza that would be hard to imagine today. Among them, a 60s costume party and New Years' celebration, a Palestinian and Egyptian flag hanging on the wall side by side. Djeghalian's curation extended beyond photographs. He integrated his grandfather's relics that his father found in a closet in Cairo: three red boxes filled with family memories.
His grandfather becomes the entry point for a journey into the unfinished archive of Gaza, inextricably linked to family history. The exhibition will remain on display in Marseille, France, until September 12th, 2026.
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