Diego Ibarra Sánchez, 1982, Spain Diego Ibarra Sánchez is a renowned Spanish documentary photographer, filmmaker, and educator who is based in Lebanon. His work primarily focuses on in-depth, long-form visual storytelling, and he is known for taking a critical stance on the use of images in contemporary society. He believes that photography should do more than simply provide a window into the world’s events; it should provoke questions and reflections. Diego has been a contributor to THE NEW YORK TIMES since 2012 and has published his stories in various newspapers, magazines, and TV channels, including France 24, Revista 5W, CNN, Der Spiegel, NZZ, Diari ARA, UNHCR, and UNICEF, among others. His journey as a visual storyteller led him to spend a year in South America in 2006, where he honed his storytelling skills. After returning to Spain, he worked for the Catalan newspaper Avui for two years. In 2009, he made a significant move to Pakistan, where he developed a compelling body of work centered on Pakistan and extended his travels to countries like Afghanistan, Bahrain, Libya, Nigeria, and Tanzania. In 2014, he left Pakistan and has been based in Lebanon since, while continuing to travel and work to portrait how war affects education around the world. Diego’s dedication to highlighting the impact of war on education dates back to 2012. In 2022, he published his first photo book titled “The Phoenician Collapse,” which explores the crisis within a crisis in Lebanon and serves as a visual testament to the country’s challenging times. The book was produced by FOTOEVIDENCE and the Jalón Ángel Archive (UNIVERSIDAD DE SAN JORGE), curated by photo editor SARAH LEEN, featuring a foreword by Amin Maalouf and texts by Ethel Bonet. Diego Ibarra Sánchez has received numerous accolades and awards for his outstanding work in the field of documentary photography and visual storytelling.
