by Barbara Yakimchuk
Photographers From The Middle East, Drawn To Colour
7 Jan 2026
You have probably heard of the six degrees of separation — the idea that any two people in the world are connected by no more than six social links. This feels a bit like that, except instead of people, there is something else doing the connecting here: colour.
The photographers we are looking at today may never have met. They live in different countries and shoot completely different worlds. Their styles vary, their subjects shift, and their visual languages don’t obviously overlap. Yet colour runs through all of their work — sometimes bold, sometimes exaggerated, sometimes playful, sometimes deeply emotional. This selection starts with colour, and everything else follows. Stay with it for a moment — it is going to be a beautiful one.
Lara Zankoul
Lara is one of those artists who carries inspiration not just in her work, but in her story. She studied economics in Lebanon, only to realise that visual art had always been her real calling — and taught herself photography along the way. But she never chose the easy route. Instead of soft, conventional shoots, she deliberately went the other way.
Her projects take months of planning. Scenes are built by hand, ideas are carefully constructed, and nothing is rushed. She works with surreal themes and, above all, the power of colour — bold contrasts and bright palettes softened by gentle tones. Here, colour isn’t just part of the image; it is the main character.
While many artists work on a conscious, surface level, Lara goes deeper, into the subconscious — and that bravery shows. Her work has been exhibited both in Lebanon and internationally.
Hassan Hajjaj
Hassan is a photographer people often describe in very simple terms: even if you don’t know his name, once you have seen his work, you won’t forget it. What stays with you is his unmistakable style — bold and authentic.
His visual language was shaped naturally by his life. Born in Morocco and later moving to London — and now living between the two — his work sits right in that space between worlds. Western and Arab influences meet, with a strong sense of home running through it all. The result is an aesthetic built around colour, inspired by North African markets, street signs and pop culture.
Colour is the first thing that hits you, but it is never on its own. It is backed by rich Moroccan patterns that ground the images culturally, while still keeping them sharp and fashion-forward.
Arab women sit at the heart of Hassan’s world — they are shown as strong, stylish and completely self-assured. There is no performance, no explanation. Just confidence, presence, and a quiet sense that they deserve the admiration they receive.
Christto & Andrew
This is a duo you recognise instantly — first through colour, and then through everything else. Christto Sanz and Andrew Weir aren’t Middle Eastern by origin, but their connection to the region feels very real. They have lived in Qatar for many years, and you can sense how deeply that place shaped their way of seeing and working. In many ways, Qatar is where their visual language really came together.
Colour is always where they begin. Soft but intense pastels, pushed just far enough to feel unreal, become a language of their own. Every image feels carefully built — nothing is random, nothing is rushed, and nothing is spelled out for you.
Their work often reflects everyday life in Qatar — ideas of leisure, luxury, excess and spectacle — but it never tells you what to think. The colour draws you in first, almost effortlessly. After that, the meaning is yours to sit with. And once you start looking closely, it is hard not to keep going.
Tasneem Alsultan
While many of the artists in this selection lean towards staged imagery, Tasneem’s work sits firmly in the documentary space. Her photography is about telling real stories. Colour is still present, but never exaggerated; it is there to build emotional and cultural context, helping the story unfold rather than taking over.
Her focus is always on real people and real moments. Tasneem works almost like an observer — noticing the small, intimate details of everyday life: children dancing at a primary school, a family waiting their turn at a fast-food counter. These moments may seem ordinary, but they are never superficial.
Through these small scenes, she actually dives deep (though you need to spend a little time with the images to see the connections) into cultural nuance, challenges long-held and often incorrect stereotypes, and reflects on national shifts, especially around the changing role of women in society.
Norah Al‑Amri
The final name on our colourful list is someone special — special in her simplicity. Norah is a Saudi street photographer who doesn’t try to invent anything new, and that is exactly where the beauty of her work lies. She simply walks through her country and invites us to see it through her eyes.
She follows people and stories as they are, without staging or overstatement — though colour plays a quiet but important role. Small, cosy cafés, people going about their own lives, children moving through the streets, and finally the city itself, quietly living alongside them. Everything stays true to life, sometimes gently lifted, just enough to bring out the feeling of the moment.
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