Betty Ketchedjian was announced winner of the 2018 Byblos Bank Award for Photography, the seventh edition of one of the most sought-after artistic photography prizes in Lebanon, during a ceremony that took place at BEIRUT ART FAIR.
Titled “Namesake”, Betty Ketchedjian’s winning series of photographs is an investigation into her own grandmother, whom she was named after. By exploring her grandmother’s surroundings and belongings, and by drawing parallels between her life and that of her grandmother, she tries to understand the eponym of her own name.
This year, some 150 candidates registered online for a chance to win the award; but according to Tristan Lund, the President of this year’s jury: “The consistency of the approach of Betty Ketchedjian, the theme she chose and how she presented her narrative, the visual signature of her work and its artistic value earned her the prize.” He added: “We, the judges, saw strong ideas in all of the finalists’ work and hope their participation in this Award will be the start of a new journey for them all”, added Mr. Lund who serves as the Discovery Section Curator at Photo London.
“Seven editions of the Byblos Bank Award for Photography is 7 years of hard work by BEIRUT ART FAIR and Byblos Bank, and of course all the wonderful emerging photographers who have been a part of this journey”, said Nada Tawil, Head of Group Communication Department at Byblos Bank. She added: “It is no surprise that the Award has become a reference in Lebanese artistic photography, and we’re really proud of the role it plays in Lebanon’s cultural scene.”
For her part Marine Bougaran, Head of Exhibitor Relations at BEIRUT ART FAIR, said: “The main objective of the Byblos Bank Award is to help foster current artistic output, primarily by providing young Lebanese photographers with privileged access to key players in the art market, from experts and galleries to collectors and media outlets.”
“The Byblos Bank Award for Photography was a great experience for me, notably because I got the chance to meet the other finalists and some of the jury members in person and got valuable feedback from them. Also, having my work exhibited at BEIRUT ART FAIR meant a great deal to me”, said Betty Ketchedjian. “I am definitely looking forward to my first solo exhibition next year and the opportunities it will open for me”, she added.
Byblos Bank’s prize to Betty Ketchedjian consists of personalized expert mentoring under an expert photographer and BEIRUT ART FAIR for her first solo exhibition, hosting of the event, and generous promotion through both a personal catalog and a dedicated media campaign.
