Info
Ofir Barak (b. 1982) is a photographer whose work delves into the profound connection between religion and human experience. Immersed for years in Jerusalem's diverse religious landscapes, Barak’s images capture the intricate beauty, complexity, and spiritual depth of faith.
His early work includes Mea Shearim: The Streets, a self-published photobook documenting three years spent capturing the daily lives of Hasidic Jews in a small neighborhood of Jerusalem. The project garnered critical attention and laid the foundation for his broader exploration of the three Abrahamic religions in and around Jerusalem and Israel.
Barak’s photography has been exhibited internationally in both group and solo shows. He has received numerous accolades from institutions such as Magnum Photos, the Hasselblad Masters, Duke University, and the Lucie Foundation. His works are part of prestigious museum, gallery, and private collections worldwide.
Contact
Barak.ofir@gmail.com
Social
Books
Old City Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel, 2024
Chrysalis, Jerusalem, Israel, 2023
Stones and Bones, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2020
Mea Shearim - the streets, Jerusalem, Israel, 2017
Education
B.A. Humanities, The Open University, Jerusalem, Israel, 2011
Solo exhibitions
Chrysalis , Frankfurt Jewish museum, Frankfurt, Germany, 2024
Mea Shearim - The streets, Artist's house, Jerusalem, Israel, 2018
Group exhibitions
The Photobook - Group Show, Indie Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2021
Lucie Foundation - Group Show at House of Lucie, Los Angeles, United States, 2019
Local testimony, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2019
Inprint Jerusalem, Book Fair, Jerusalem, Israel, 2019
Inprint Jerusalem, Book presentation and artist talk, Jerusalem, Israel 2018
Highlights from Jerusalem, KOLNOA film festival, Prague, Czech Republic 2018
Lucie Foundation - Month of photography photo book exhibition, Venice Arts, Los Angeles, United states, 2018
Welcome to Jerusalem, Jewish Museum Berlin, Germany, 2017
Photo is:real, International Photography Festival, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2017
D&ad - Next photographer award, London, Uk, 2017
ECVR International Exhibition, ECVR, San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy, 2017
Magnum photos swap shop winners, Theprintspace, London, UK, 2017
Local testimony, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2016
La culture #16, Mazza 9 gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2016
Line hayotzer #2 old train station compound, Jerusalem, Israel, 2016
Art festival - days of Jerusalem, Plzeň, Czech Republic, 2015
Blackbox, Jerusalem, Israel, 2015
Public collections
Frankfurt Jewish museum, Frankfurt, Germany, 2024
Great Synagogue art collection, Plzeň, Czech Republic, 2015
Honors and awards
Leica Oskar Barnack Award nominator, 2021 - 2024
Guest speaker for Fotoakademie Graz, Graz, Austria, 2020 - 2022
Fujifilm ambassador and X-photographer, 2020
Winner, Faith and religion singles category, Local Testimony, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2019
Nominee, Hasselblad Masters, 2018
Finalist, The Meitar Award, International Photography Festival, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2017
Winner, Black & White Street Series of the Year, Monovision Awards, 2017
Finalist, Next photographer award, D&ad, 2017
Winner, Magnum Photography Awards (Street category), Magnum photos & Lensculture, 2016
Honorable mention, CDS documentary photography committee, Duke University, Nc, Usa, 2016
2nd place, Series of faith and religion, Local Testimony, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2016
Winner, Lensculture street photography awards, Lensculture, 2015
Honorable mention, Moscow international photo award, Moscow, Russia, 2015
Press, Publications, Interviews, Features, etc
Walls of time : an intimate look to the old city, Haaretz newspaper photoblog, 2024
“Hidden World” of Notes Placed Inside Jerusalem’s Western Wall, Petapixel, 2024
The believers hidden secrets, Haaretz newspaper photoblog, 2023
My sweet self, Die Zeit online, 2022
Die Ziet Newspaper #32, 2022
Capturing the Transcendent Heartbeat of Jerusalem’s Christians, Christianity today, 2021
Christianity Today april issue feature magazine, 2021
Stones and bones (at the heart of the Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem), Graine de photographer, 2020
Ofir Barak, Kapparot, Tour dogs zine, 2020
Strength of faith, Haaretz newspaper photoblog, 2020
In Photos: Christianity in Jerusalem, World Jewish Congress, 2020
Ofir Barak - Mea Shearim, Josef Chladek, The virtual bookshelf, 2019
100 jahre waldorfpädagogik - einblicke weltweit. Kehrer 9783868289206, 2019
Local Testimony Catalog, 2019
Ofir Barak - Artist page, All about photo, 2019
Mea Shearim, Jerusalem: The everyday life of a city within a city, World Jewish Congress, 2018
Photographer captures daily life of Mea Shearim neighborhood 'frozen in time', I24news. Eng | Fr , 2018
Artist page, Artsy, 2017
Mea Shearim: One of Jerusalem’s Oldest Jewish Settlements, Petapixel, 2017
Mea Shearim - The Streets, The Eye of Photography, 2017
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Edge of Humanity Magazine, 2017
Mea Shearim - the streets, C41magazine, 2017
Mea Shearim - The Streets, Bird in Flight, 2017
Mea Shearim - The Streets, Leica camera photoblog, 2017
Mea Shearim: The Streets, Booooooom, 2017
City of secrets, Haaretz newspaper photoblog, 2017
Please take your shoes off, Lensculture, 2017
Magnum Photography Awards, Magnum Photos, 2016
Magnum Photography Awards, I-D (vice), 2016
Magnum Photography Awards, HB style, 2016
Magnum Photography Awards, Dpreview, 2016
Magnum Photography Awards, Amateur Photographer, 2016
Magnum Photography Awards, Siliconrepublic, 2016
Magnum Photography Awards, BBC Ukraine, 2016
How this ultra-Orthodox neighborhood has embraced traditional religious life, Albawaba, 2016
Local Testimony (Catalog), 2016
Professional Photography Issue #12 (Magazine), 2016
Lensculture street photography awards, Lensculture, 2015
Street Photography Awards, The Telegraph, 2015
Street Photography Awards, Der Spigel, 2015
Issue #73, F-stop magazine, 2015