Who we are
Established in 2016, The Beirut Center of Photography is a non-profit organization dedicated to photography and visual culture based in Beirut.
We organize exhibitions, workshops, debates, and educational programs. Our goal is to position the Middle East and North Africa on the photography world map.
BCP was founded by Patrick Baz, Michel Zoghzoghi, Said Francis and Serge Akl.
Our team
Patrick Baz, founder and executive director
Patrick Baz started as a freelance photojournalist in 1982. His pictures from the Lebanese conflict were published in major news magazines like Stern, Time, Newsweek, Paris Match, etc.
In 1986, as a young visual enthusiast, he founded with three childhood friends, Pikasso, a Lebanon based leading out-of-home advertising company. In 1989, he was hired as a photojournalist by Agence France-Presse (AFP). In 1996, he built and managed AFP’s photo network and photo desk in the MENA region.
An award-winning photographer, he covered the world’s major conflicts as a photographer and a team leader on the ground. Baz sat on different prestigious photojournalism, photography and journalism jury. He is now in charge of developing AFP-Services in the MENA region.
Elie Bekhazi, master photographer
Elie Bekhazi’s first interest in photography began at age 5. His inspiration came from a father passionate about painting, photography and cinema. Elie’s passion for photography grew to become more than a hobby. He studied Art Direction and Fine Arts at ALBA (Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts).
Since 1992, he is pursuing a successful career as a commercial photographer whose large and diverse experience ranges from advertising campaigns, editorials and interiors, to people, table tops, food, etc. Not to mention his reputable clients: Leo Burnett, Impact BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi, Promoseven, Pimo Group, Team Young & Rubicam, Memac Ogilvy, Go Graphic, Femme Magazine, Aîshti Magazine, Bespoke Magazine, just to name a few.
Elie refined his knowledge by teaching photography and running seminars to art students at Alba (1995-2003 and from 2010-2016), AUC (1999), UPT (2012-2017) He was member of the jury’s in AUB’s yearly Photo Contest, Wild Discovery’s Annual Photo Contest, Jounieh Festival Photo contest, and Al Nahar yearly photo contest.
Photographer, educator and most of all, an artist, Elie has participated in several photo exhibitions.
Cynthia Ghoussoub, web and content manager
Born in 1990, Cynthia Ghoussoub is a Lebanese photographer & artist. She holds a Bachelors degree in photography from Notre Dame University, Lebanon (2015).
Ghoussoub’s work is versatile and explores many themes related to the self, memory and social identity. The artist participated in several group exhibitions namely at NDU gallery, the Italian embassy in Beirut, and Art Factum Gallery. Her first Solo exhibition took place in November 2015 at KAF Contemporary Art Gallery. She was also featured in the October 2015 issue of Arab Ad Magazine.
In March-April of 2018, Cynthia participated in season 2 of “I am National Geographic Photographer”, a four-part mini-series that features four amateur photographers who compete against one another in a series of challenges as they try to capture a photograph worthy of being featured in National Geographic.
