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Rakib Ahmed

Rakib Ahmed is a fine art photographer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. His photographic practice is deeply rooted in personal emotion and lived experience, extending beyond simply capturing images to creating meaningful visual narratives. His work reflects an intimate connection between subject and memory, transforming photographs into expressive documents of time and feeling.

Ahmed has worked with leading national newspapers, including The Independent, Dhaka

Courier, and UNB, where his photographic stories were frequently featured on front pages

and magazine covers. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Photography from Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, one of South Asia’s most respected institutions for visual arts. A significant aspect of his practice involves vintage analogue photography, particularly the wet plate collodion process. Working with handcrafted wooden large-format cameras, Rakib embraces the slow, tactile, and unpredictable nature of this historic technique, allowing each image to exist as a unique physical artifact shaped by time, light, and chemistry.

His exhibitions include the solo show Torongo, Netrokona Art Gallery (2022), and FACES of

the City, Britto Arts Trust, Dhaka (2017). He was a finalist for the Samdani Art Award

(2018) and the Sovereign Asian Art Prize in both 2019 and 2020.

About Us

Chobi Mela, the first festival of photography in Asia, is one of the most exciting ventures that Drik and Pathshala has initiated. The first Chobi Mela – International Festival of Photography was held in December 2000 – January 2001. It is the most demographically inclusive photo festival in the world and is held every two years in Dhaka.