Arleb by Nabad interviews photographer Carmen Yahchouchi. Born in Bamako – Mali, Yahchouchi has been in love with photography for as long as she can remember. Sensitive by nature, emotional and passionate about storytelling, she tries to venture into the intimate spaces of human experience, propelling the spectator into the unique universe of each of her subjects.

Arleb by Nabad – Can you tell us more about your background?

Carmen Yahchouchi – I was born and raised in Mali and after relocating to Lebanon in 2010, I pursued my Bachelor’s degree in photography at the Notre Dame University. Refining my skills, and developing a sharp eye for documentary photography, I began to understand my subject’s gestures and demeanor. This enabled me to develop an aesthetic sensibility towards complex issues that many shy away from.

Arleb by Nabad – What is the experience that has influenced your work the most? 

Carmen Yahchouchi – The people I meet. By listening and telling the stories of others, we come to understand that there are no stereotypes and we stand as individuals. In storytelling, I feel empathy with my subjects, but the most important part is for them to feel empathy with me, and I capture the emotion they transmit and their surroundings. That’s why photography seems to sit at the intersection of skill and humility. No matter the topic, or how distant it seems for you, it’s not until you find yourself or examine your motivation to tell a story, that your story becomes compelling with others. I am a very emotional person and I discovered that big side of me while doing photography, with time. Without knowing I started to see myself in my subjects ‘intimate spaces’. They are teaching me things about myself, they are showing me the world, this cold world, they leave their energies inside my soul for the rest of my life and I think that’s the power of storytelling. 

Arleb by Nabad – Which subjects or themes are you working on? 

Carmen Yahchouchi – Storytelling! 

Arleb by Nabad – What is your creative process like? 

Carmen Yahchouchi – My subjects should trust me before being the photographer. 

Arleb by Nabad – What was the impact of the Beirut port explosions (August 4, 2020) on your work as an artist/creative enterprise? 

I produced many stories, the aftermath didn’t let any of us sleep. The Lebanese people were not afraid of the camera anymore since everyone you see now in Beirut want to share their stories to the world and be heard. 

Arleb by Nabad – What are, according to you, the roles of arts and culture in social, economic, environmental or political change? 

Carmen Yahchouchi – There are no stereotypes and we stand as individuals. Art influences society by changing opinions, instilling values and translating experiences across space and time. Art remains a significant form of communication that must take up the challenges facing humanity today. No issue is more critical than the rapidly escalating destruction of our environment. The world of Art must find a way to bring this message to as many on the planet as possible. If the “medium is the message”, the Art world must act, quickly and radically out of people’s “comfort zone” and use the power inherent to this uniquely human activity to provoke widespread behavioral change.

Arleb by Nabad – What are, according to you, the main challenges/obstacles facing artists/creative enterprises in Lebanon nowadays? 

Carmen Yahchouchi – It is difficult to speak about this situation as a Lebanese artist based in Beirut. The past decade has seen an extraordinary range of cultural activity in the city; a new renaissance, underlining what could now be lost. If you are lucky to have a job nowadays, just keep it whatever the cost or the salary; because the young generation in Lebanon is now SURVIVING. Following the October 2019 Revolution, the pandemic and the economic crises, the Beirut blast… , everyone lost their jobs, homes, shops, galleries. We all have so much anger that we want to get out and to express, and I think art for us nowadays is the best way to do this.

CHECK OUT CARMEN YAHCHOUCHI PROFILE AND ARTWORKS FOR SALE ON ARLEB.