Lara Chahine: Harnessing the Power of Rage

“Nostalgic in nature, I always admired photography’s ability to immortalise moments, people, and places,” says Lara Chahine. The self-taught photographer began taking photos in 2019, purely for the love of it. Today, with multiple exhibitions under her belt, the 27-year-old continues to uncover new corners of society through her work.

Grounded in her identity as a Lebanese woman, Chahine is constantly in conversation with the political landscape around her, musing on what it means to take photos. “Visual evidence wasn’t enough to stop a genocide,” she says, echoing our collective overconsumption. But as someone who wants to find a purpose behind each image, she hasn’t stopped trying. “Deep down, all I’m hoping for is a reaction or an emotion, a small internal change or thought that lingers after viewing.” 

Passionate about the process – of finding a subject, reaching a location – she has a deep love for the effort it takes. “The process is the most rewarding part of taking an image,” she reflects. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to create new connections, learn about my people, and have access to new places.” Photography, she continues, gives her new relationships even within her own home.

Currently based in London, Chahine shares the two things fuelling her creative process: “Rage and love—rage mainly.” Her work chronicles themes of revolution, toxic beauty standards, the natural world, and contentious relationships to power. Her work directly grows and evolves from the world around her, questioning social structures through the lens of lived experience, street photography, portraiture, and more. 

All of these principles are underpinned by this young photographer’s unwavering belief in bringing about change: Like activist and filmmaker Toni Cade Bambara once said, “the role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.” Her influences are many: Nan Goldin, Vivian Maier, Samia Halaby, and Hannah Hoch are among the great visual storytellers she cites. “What I admire the most about Vivian Maier is that she shot for her own pleasure, without expectations or ulterior motives,” she adds, describing her inspiration.

Photography is a personal endeavour first and foremost that, for Chahine, makes it inherently political. Through her work, she is interested in “reshaping the way images are used and presented, and how these conditions can affect the viewer’s interpretation”. In constant exploration of the world around her and what it means to be a witness in today’s day and age, her lens is an important one.