To those who doubt the result of being persistent, look no further than Elsn Lahoud. A finalist last year at the Byblos Bank award photography, this year an outright winner! And deservedly so. He joins several budding talents which have won the award before him (such as Myriam Boulos, Ghaleb Cabbabé, and Carmen Yahchouchy) to be in place for a unique package of professional advice and support. This includes personalized expert mentoring under award-winning Lebanese photographer Serge Najjar, for his first solo exhibition, hosting of the event at Byblos Bank Headquarters, and generous promotion through both a personal catalog and a dedicated media campaign.
Titled “Ehtiyat” (Military Reserve), Elsn Lahoud’s winning series of photographs is a unique approach to the experience of the last group of men who were conscripted to Lebanon’s military service. By featuring conscripted Lebanese men in an innovative and artistic way, Lahoud tries to show how this experience changed and shaped their lives. Considering I am one of those men who did the said military service, I cannot but relate emotionally to the works!
Congratulations to Elsn and off to the solo show!