Sami Ajouri

Photographer | Photojournalist | Visual Storyteller
📍 Vienna, Austria and Damascus, Syria | [contact] | [oo43 65o 8I3II38]

I am a photographer and visual artist with a background in fine arts and a strong focus on documentary photography. Since 2012, with the rise of the Syrian revolution and the ensuing war, I carried out several photographic projects in Syria, documenting marginalized communities, humanitarian crises, and the human condition. My work aims to shed light on the realities faced by those affected by the conflict, capturing not only suffering and destruction but also resilience and moments of humanity amidst crisis.

With a foundation in fine art, my visual storytelling is deeply influenced by composition, form, and texture. My experience spans commercial, documentary, and fine art photography, and I seek to collaborate with news agencies, photo agencies, and media outlets to bring untold stories to a global audience.

I was born in Homs, Syria 1980 and since 2006 living in Vienna, Austria.

Education

• Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, Austria (2006 – 2011)
  Magister Artium/Master Class under Prof. Gunter Damisch in Printmaking and Painting (with distinction)
• Damascus School of Fine Arts, Syria (1999 – 2003)
  Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts (Sculpture)

Professional Experience

• Freelance Photographer (2002 – Present)
  Specializing in documentary, commercial, and fine art photography.
  Extensive experience in product photography, fine art reproduction, exhibition documentation, and studio photography.

  Clients included artists and cultural institutions amongst others: Stephan Fillitz, Catherine Françoise Rollier, Ivana Kralj, and Hannes Seebacher.

• Memeber of the artist group “child of play” Art and culture initiative. (2014 – 2017)
• Humanitarian Worker, Alseeraj for Development and Healthcare, Gaziantep, Turkey
  (2013 – 2015)
  Worked on humanitarian aid projects supporting displaced Syrian communities.
  Assisted in media documentation, field reporting, and project coordination.
  Provided visual documentation for humanitarian initiatives and advocacy efforts.

• Humanitarian Worker, Union of Syrians Abroad, Vienna and Reyhanli, Turkey
  (2012 – 2013)
  Worked on humanitarian aid projects supporting displaced Syrian communities.
  Assisted in media documentation, field reporting, and project coordination.
• Videographer, OKTO TV, Vienna, Austria (2006 – 2009)
  Cameraman and lighting assistant Okto, Discover TV

• Videographer, Jump Commercial Studios, Damascus, “Fawaz Aljaber Production” Syria (1999 – 2003)
  Cameraman and light assistant for commercial productions.

Exhibitions & Collections
(Selected)

• 2023 – Common Ground, Group Exhibition, One State Embassy & Kunsttankstelle Vienna
• 2020 – Delta Cultura, Dorotheum, Vienna
• 2019 – Auflösung_Dissolution, Educult, MuseumsQuartier, Vienna
• 2018 – Superhumanism 3, Group Exhibition, Treadwell Gallery, Vienna
• 2015 – The Art of Being a Child, Group Exhibition, Museum Münze, Austria
• 2011 – Thin Red Line, Diploma Exhibition, Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna
• 2009 – XYZ, Solo Exhibition, Artmark Gallery, Vienna

Collections:

• 2020 – KHM Vienna (Portrait of Michael Alram)
• 2019 – OFID (OPEC Fund) (Portrait of Suleiman J. Al-Herbish)
• 2011 – Kupferstichkabinett, Vienna
• 2017 and 2018 Nick Treadwell Collection

Awards & Grants

• 2017 – Painting Grant: Laboratory of Arts, Ettijahat – Independent Culture, Beirut, Lebanon
• 2014 – International Photography Awards (IPA), Finalist (Moving Images Category)
• 2010 – 1st Prize, Art in Architecture Competition (Guidance System & Visual Orientation, Malcherhof Baden Clinic)
• 2006 – EWS – One World Scholarship, Afro-Asian Institute, Vienna

Languages

• English (Fluent)
• Arabic (Native)
• German (Fluent)

Skills & Expertise

• Documentary Photography
• Photo Editing & Post-Production
• Fine Art & Exhibition Photography
• Studio & Commercial Photography
• Archival & Reproduction Photography