Ahmed Nagy Draz, visual storyteller, archivist, and curated based in Alexandria, Egypt. His work focuses on gender, masculinity, the city dynamics and urban changes.
Nagy’s work evolved through the past 15 years. He covered the Egyptian revolutions in 2011 and 2013 and the Gaza war in 2012. These experiences made him move away from classic photojournalism and shifted his concern towards his close environment to embrace and celebrate his community and culture. His practice is based on experimental photography while keeping the documentary ethics. His aim is to raise questions, focusing on emotions, by challenging the mediums, materials, and techniques.
Archiving:
2023- Building Alexandria city archive for “Arab Urban Development Institute", Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
2021- Building Egyptian society archive for Alternative Policy Solutions project in “The American University in Cairo”, Cairo, Egypt.
2020- Together with other two Egyptian photographers, he co-founded the “Badawy Archive Project”
Teaching:
2020- Photography workshop in the Jesuite Cinema School, Alexandria, Egypt.
2019- Photography workshop in the Jesuite Cinema School, Alexandria, Egypt.
2015- Double exposure technique lecture in ViewFinder photography club, Alexandria, Egypt.
2011- Through the lens workshop in the French Institute, Alexandria, Egypt.
2011- Photojournalism lecture in faculty of arts, Alexandria, Egypt.
Awards:
2012- Encouragement prize in the competition “people in colors and shapes”
2011- Second place in portrait photography, Competition of the Press Media Development Program in Egyptian Journalists Syndicate.
Workshops:
2024- Folk Atlas, visual storytelling, with Mohammed Mahdi and Ghazi Al-Nagy, Alexandria.
2013- Visual Storytelling workshop in NOOR images Foundation, Cairo.
2011- War and first aid workshop, at Egypt's Journalists Syndicate, Alexandria.
Exhibitions:
2025- “Alexandria Multiple Visions”, Alexandria Bibliotheca, Egypt.
2025- “Anti-archive”, Alexandria,Egypt.
2024- “7 colors in the city”, Alexandria, Egypt.
2022- “Manhood-reimagine, retold”, Cairo, Egypt.
2022- “Mexico-Egypt from above”,at The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Cairo, Egypt.
2022,24,25- “Photopia print shop”, Cairo, Egypt.
2021- “Him too” solo exhibition, Cairo, Egypt.
2020- “Him too” solo exhibition in Alexandria, Egypt.
2019- “Cairography” in Darb 1718, Cairo, Egypt.
2018- “Narration exhibition” Cairo photo week, Cairo, Egypt.
2012- “Egyptians in colors and shapes”, in the Opera House, Cairo, Egypt.
2011- “Egyptian revolution”, Paris photo week, Paris, France.
2011- “Egyptian rebellion pictures exhibition” in Sawy Cultural Wheel, Cairo,Egypt.
2011- “Freedom rebellion exhibition” in Goethe Alexandria, Egypt.
Exhibitions curation:
2025- “Badawy from kom el dekka”, The first archival photography exhibition in the streets in Egypt took place in Alexandria.
2025- “Alexandria Multiple Visions”, Badawy Archive slideshow, Alexandria Bibliotheca, Egypt.
2025- “In the presence of the shrine”, Institut français, Alexandria, Egypt.
2025- “Visual trilogy”, Veolitte vella, Cairo, Egypt.
2024- “Badawy archive”, Greco-Roman Museum, Alexandria, Egypt.
2024- “7 colors in the city”, at “6 Bab Sharq” space, Alexandria, Egypt.
2015- “Freedom for the courageous”, at “Janaclies studio”, Alexandria, Egypt.
Collaborations:
Publications: “The Guardian” UK, “Correspondents” Germany, “Cengage Learning EMEA” UK,“Dalloz” France, “Al-watan” Egypt, “Al-Shorouk” Egypt.
Wire agencies: “Anadolu Agency” Turkey, “Xinhua News Agency“ China.
Research centers: “The American University in Cairo”, “Arab Urban Development institute”, “The Human and the City for Human and Social Research”,
NGOs: ”Unesco”, “The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab"