When a Photograph Becomes a Story: A Student-Led Exhibition of Refugee Stories

From August 23 to September 6, YiJian Library became a space for stories that are often left unheard. 

Organized by the Concordia International School Shanghai chapter of Help4Refugees, Through Their Eyes was a refugee photography exhibition featuring the work of refugee photographer Shahd and writer Nour. Through photography, writing, and interactive activities, the exhibition invited our community to look beyond the label of “refugee” and encounter the people, memories, and experiences behind it.

The exhibition was made possible through a year of preparation and collaboration between students in Shanghai and refugees in Turkey. After connecting with Shahd and Nour through Help4Refugees, our team worked to support Shahd in developing her photography while creating a platform for her work to reach a wider audience. Through the Christmas Bazaar, where Syrian goods were sold to promote culture and bracelet-making workshops continued, we were able to raise funds to purchase her first professional camera for Shahd, allowing her to continue documenting the world around her through her own perspective. Despite receiving her camera during the summer, a majority of the photographs exhibited were still taken by Shahd’s phone, taken during previous years.

The photographs displayed in the exhibition were organized into four chapters of Shahd’s life: Memory of Home, Light from Within, Unfinished Spring, and the Warmth of Humanity. Alongside them, Nour’s writing provided another perspective, allowing visitors to engage with the stories and emotions behind the images.

The exhibition officially opened on August 23 with a special program that brought together students, community members, and guests. Visitors had the opportunity to explore the work, hear directly from the people involved, and learn more about the experiences that inspired the exhibition.The photographs displayed in the exhibition were organized into four chapters of Shahd’s life: Memory of Home, Light from Within, Unfinished Spring, and the Warmth of Humanity. Alongside them, Nour’s writing provided another perspective, allowing visitors to engage with the stories and emotions behind the images.

The exhibition officially opened on August 23 with a special program that brought together students, community members, and guests. Visitors had the opportunity to explore the work, hear directly from the people involved, and learn more about the experiences that inspired the exhibition.

During the opening event, Jordan Hattar—founder of Help4Refugees— gave a brief speech about his experiences with service and shared personal stories from his work with refugees. His reflections helped visitors better understand the importance of supporting displaced communities and encouraged them to look beyond statistics and labels to recognize the individual stories and experiences of refugees. This was followed by a flower-pot-making workshop led by Ismahan, a special refugee guest who finds meaning in gardening by transforming her children’s broken toys into pots for planting after the earthquake. Participants had the opportunity to create their own flower pots with Ismahan, engaging with her story and the exhibition in a hands-on and meaningful way beyond simply viewing the photographs.

On August 30, we hosted the Artist Dialogue, where participants had the opportunity to engage directly with Shahd and Nour and hear the stories behind the work they created. Visitors were able to ask questions, learn more about their creative processes, and gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and perspectives that shaped the exhibition.

"I write because my soul likes that. I do not like to write empty sentences. I write something with value. I want them to see the real me, not the one who is destroyed by the earthquake"

-Nour Alrashed, extracted from the Artist Dialogue

The exhibition also gave our student organizers an opportunity to reflect on what it means to create a platform for someone else’s story. Rather than speaking for refugees, our goal was to create space for them to speak for themselves.

For the team, one of the most meaningful parts of the project was seeing visitors stop in front of the photographs, read the accompanying stories, and take time to consider perspectives different from their own.

"Through Their Eyes was a student-led exhibition, and while we may not have had a professional production team or a large budget behind us, we put our time, effort, and heart into making this exhibition possible. We apologize for any imperfections, but we are grateful for those who chose to spend their time here and for supporting the cause. Every person who visited, listened to a story, participated in an activity, or shared the exhibition with someone else helped us take one small step toward making these voices heard" 

--Angela Xu (’27), Gracie Wang (’28), Maggie Lu (’28), student leaders of Help4Refugees Concordia and main curator team

“I think this exhibition is one of a kind, especially due to the fact that during the workshops we got to actually talk to the creators of the work shown during the exhibition. I feel that the exhibition really is able to tell the story of the refugees, not only of the creators but also of the refugee community as a whole. It encaptures the way of life that they experience everyday, which is just super eye-opening”

-Hannah Lei (’28), student member of Help4Refuges Concordia

“Through their eyes, the photographs capture a quiet steadiness and reveal beauty within familiar, everyday life, leaving viewers to ponder what each photographer hoped to convey. The exhibition invites us to see beyond the photographs, not only with our eyes, but also with our hearts. It was heartwarming to witness the genuine love and kindness shared between the Help4Refugees students and their friends living across a very different world."

- Ms. Kong, advisor of Help4Refugees Concordia

Throughout the exhibition, visitors were also able to support the project by purchasing merchandise inspired by the two artists’ work, including tote bags, postcards, bookmarks, and sticker packs. Additionally, we helped create Nour’s very first “book,” a valuable collection of her beautiful writing that preserves and shares her work with a wider audience (highly recommended to read!). The profits will be solely given to the two artists to showcase the public's support.

Ultimately, Through Their Eyes was more than an exhibition of photographs. It was an attempt to create connection—between people separated by distance, between experiences that may initially seem unfamiliar, and between our school community and stories that deserve to be heard.

As we look back on the exhibition, we are grateful to Shahd, Nour, Ismahan, and our translator Raida, our student team, faculty mentors, volunteers, and everyone who visited or supported the project.

Most importantly, we hope the stories shared through “Through Their Eyes” continue beyond the walls of YiJian Library. Because sometimes, seeing the world through someone else’s eyes is the first step toward understanding it differently.