Eyes in Gaza II is a collection of first hand accounts on the ground in the Gaza Strip: a place millions call home that may soon cease to exist.
Since 2018, the Lucie Impact Award has been presented to a photographer who created the most substantial journalistic contributions that year. In 2023, the Impact Award was given not to an individual, but a group of photojournalists and press photographers working in the Gaza Strip. Eyes in Gaza features firsthand accounts from some of these photographers: Dawoud AboAlkas, Samar Abu Elouf, AbdelHakim Abu Riash, Mohammed Al Masri, Saher Alghorra, Loay Ayyoub, Motaz Azaiza, Mohammed Baba, Mahmoud Bassam, Mohammed Dahman, Majdi Fathi, Mahmud Hams, Ahmad Hasaballah, Belal Khaled, Mohammed Jadallah Salem, Suhail Nassar, Haitham Nuralden, Yasser Qudih, Mohammed Talatene, Bashar Taleb, Mohammed Zaanoun, Ahmed Zakot, and Abed Zagout. By putting their life on the line, these individuals were able to bring never before seen imagery of a quickly progressing conflict in real time to thousands worldwide.
Years later and the situation remains similarly bleak. The motivation behind Eyes in Gaza II remains consistent: to amplify the voices of those experiencing the realities of the genocide firsthand. Due to the nature of the conflict, numerous photojournalists have been forced to take refuge and have ceased their work covering the genocide. The photography in this exhibition consists of a mixture of older images and a selection of recent images from those who are still actively documenting life in the Gaza Strip. Each photograph is a segment of the overall story, told through the lens of those affected every day by the countless tragedies.
Thank you to The Very Rev. Winnie Varghese, Dean, Marion Kahan, Collection & Exhibition Manager, Laura F. Bosley, Executive Director, Cathedral Programming and everyone at St. John the Divine for opening its doors for this urgent and topical body of work. Thank you to Keith Manning, Rev. Elizabeth G. Maxwell, and Rabbi Ellen Lippmann for your support in bringing this exhibition to New York.
In honor of Omar Al-Derawi, 2023 Lucie Impact Award Honoree, who was killed January 3rd, 2025 by an Israeli airstrike.
This exhibition is made possible by the Lucie Foundation and curated by Alice Dison.
UPCOMING “EYES IN GAZA” EXHIBITIONS
House of Lucie Athens: February 5 – February 28, 2026