Randa Shaath Launches "Al-Qāhirah 90" Exhibition Within the Proceedings of Cairo Photo Week

Egypt Today

07-05-2025

For the first time, Palestinian-Egyptian photographer Randa Shaath launches an independent exhibition within the proceedings of the fourth Cairo Photo Week (CPW) under the slogan "Finding the View", organized by Photopia. It is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and Tourism Promotion Authority, Ministry of Cultural between (8-18) May.
"Al-Qāhirah 90" exhibition is to be held in Beit Babelouk at Sheikh Reyhan street at Downtown and showcases 20 photographs documenting different aspects of life in Cairo during the nineties in order to highlight defining moments in the capital, Cairo, before the great urban expansion since the beginning of the millennium.
Shaath worked as a photographer for Agence France-Presse in Egypt and Gaza during the nineties, as well as Al-Ahram newspaper. Additionally, she was the first to hold the position of photo editor-in-chief at Al-Shorouk newspaper. Shaath noted that selecting "Al-Qāhirah 90" as the key theme of her exhibition is linked to her connection to the nineties which highlights the peak of her career in journalism. At that time, she witnessed multiple changes in the Egyptian capital and captured them through her lens, like the excavation of the subway and the construction of the second phase of October Bridge. Her work documents life in places no longer exist, such as the area located behind the ancient El-Oyoun stream wall -including "Al Jaiarah", sugar, lemon, and gypsy monsters- and the Maspero area which has changed now.
Shaath added, "The photos I selected for the exhibition don't highlight nostalgia for the nineties, for each era has its merits and demerits. As for Cairo Photo Week, I wanted to highlight different themes about Cairo and document the place where I live, particularly during that period. People are the same. Changes occur in places, clothing, professions, and everyday life details. This is what I was keen to capture, document and display in the exhibition".
Photopia's founder and executive director, Marwa Abu Leila, stated, "The participation of artist Randa Shaath in 'Al-Qāhirah 90' exhibition is a significant addition to Cairo Photo Week. Shaath has previously participated in symposiums and workshops. Her exhibition will grant audiences the opportunity to get to know her photographic vision that combines artistic and human documentation".
Shaath is a Palestinian-Egyptian photographer. She holds a BA in Middle Eastern Studies from the AUC and a MA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Minnesota in the USA. She took part in multiple international exhibitions and institutions and published four books, such as "My Homeland is but a Stone's Throw Away" (1989), which presents daily life in the Canada Palestinian refugee camp in Rafah. She also published "Egypt, the Mother of the World" (1990), which explores the history and culture of Cairo over 1300 years, and "Under the Same Sky" (2003), which documents scenes from life in Cairo. In 2020, she published her autobiography; "Sand Mountain", through which she tackled her personal and professional journey and experiences in photography and identity.
It is noteworthy that the fourth Cairo Photo Week includes over 20 individual and collective exhibitions for professional local and international photographers. They also include international institutions, such as World Press Photo, Vogue, National Geographic, and Getty Images, in 14 locations in Downtown. Furthermore, Cairo Photo Week is to host over 100 discussion sessions, workshops, and live demos, with the participation of international experts and artists, in collaboration with multiple embassies, such as the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, and Denmark, along with the British Council and the European Union.