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Laman Ismayilova

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Reza Deghati's exhibition "Women: Grace Beyond Struggle" and the portrait of Khatun from Khojaly created a remarkable moment during the 2026 Malta Biennale.

AN EXHIBITION THAT TRANSCENDS CONTINENTS

Composed of photographs taken over decades in more than 115 countries, "Women: Grace Beyond Struggle" is not merely a photo exhibition—it is a living truth emerging from life itself. Through Reza Deghati's lens, visitors encounter women from every continent: in war zones and open markets, sorrowful and joyful, in mourning and in hope. They are not passive figures; they are builders of civilizations, carriers of memory, and survivors who find ways to endure.

As the Malta Arts Council noted, Reza's photographs "are not indifferent to sorrow and suffering, yet they are not limited to them."

These images confront visitors not only with the hardships women face, but also with their extraordinary grace and beauty, their roles within family and society, and how they shape our shared history.

Within the framework of the exhibition, Reza Deghati also selected five Maltese photographers and introduced them to the audience.

THE PRESIDENT OF MALTA VISITS THE EXHIBITION

As a sign of the high official recognition given to the exhibition, Malta's third female head of state and women's rights advocate, Her Excellency President Miriam Spiteri Debono, visited the exhibition on April 7, 2026, in the presence of Reza himself. Speaking on television about what she witnessed, the President said words that resonated far beyond Valletta's main square:

"Photography, yes—I call it exactly that: it is the most authentic form of visual art."

Regarding Reza, she added:

"Reza, as an artist and photojournalist, has dedicated his life to documenting human stories across the world."

These were not mere formal courtesies. Faced with images of dignified women living through war, struggle, and grief, these words expressed recognition at the highest level of the importance of Reza Deghati's lifelong work.

Previously, on March 10, 2026, at the official opening of the Malta Biennale, Miriam Spiteri Debono had described the event as "a place where thought meets creativity, and heritage meets the future," and photography as "a universal language that unites people, invites reflection, and inspires the search for a better reality."

CONFERENCE FOR MALTESE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND THE MEDIA

During his stay in Malta, on March 12, 2026, Reza Deghati delivered a public lecture titled "Woman, Life, Freedom" at the University's Old Campus. The event was organized by the French-Maltese Alliance in Malta in cooperation with the Malta Arts Council.

Specifically designed for Maltese photographers, media representatives, and students of visual arts, the event was open and free to the public.

Since 1983, Reza has voluntarily shared his knowledge and skills with young people in conflict zones, and once again, he generously shared his experience, vision, and humanity with participants.

By all accounts, this meeting left a lasting impression on Malta's photography community.

Through his photographs, he conveyed to participants the story of Karabakh, Khojaly, and Azerbaijan’s struggle for sovereignty.

THE HEAVIEST BURDEN: KHOJALY, KARABAKH, AND THE WOMAN NEVER FORGOTTEN

However, behind the universal beauty of "Women, Grace Beyond Struggle" lies a heavier and more painful story—one that Reza Deghati has carried in his heart for over thirty years despite all obstacles. After witnessing what happened in Khojaly and listening to the tragic stories of survivors, Reza carried the cries of Khojaly’s survivors for 34 years and shared them with the world.

In Paris, he faced not only the moral weight of what he had witnessed, but also direct pressure. Organized efforts by the Armenian diaspora in France sought to disrupt his exhibitions. Yet nothing could stop him. He held exhibitions, published books, and bore witness. He created the website khojalywitness.org to help survivors locate missing relatives.

The 2014 book "The Massacre of the Innocents" remains one of the most important photo-documentary works on Khojaly published internationally. He presented the exhibition "Khojaly: Wounded Souls" in Baku, Brussels, Vienna, and other cities. In conferences around the world, he spoke about the truth of Khojaly.

In all his conferences, Reza has stated:

"I have worked as a photojournalist for 43 years. I have been in many conflict zones around the world and documented countless tragedies. But the Khojaly genocide affected me the most. I consider it my duty to bring the truth of Khojaly to the world."

THE PHOTOGRAPH OF KHATUN: A SYMBOL TURNED INTO A MONUMENT IN MALTA

In 2026, in Malta, at Triton Square in Floriana, Reza Deghati took a remarkable and personal step. He personally financed the creation of the largest photograph in the exhibition: a monumental portrait of an elderly woman from Khojaly named Khatun.

With a face marked by deep sorrow, Khatun has long become one of the most powerful symbols of the suffering and call for justice stemming from the Khojaly tragedy.

Standing before this massive image rising against the Mediterranean sky is to understand what Reza has been fighting for over the years.

This is not just a photograph. It is testimony itself. It is a manifesto. It is a message delivered at an international event held under UNESCO patronage and attended by heads of state: the voices of those who are unheard will be heard.

A WORTHY PLATFORM FOR THIS WORK

Organized in partnership with Heritage Malta and the Malta Arts Council, the 2026 Malta Biennale once again demonstrated that contemporary art in the Mediterranean region is not merely decorative.

This art, as Miriam Spiteri Debono stated, is a language that unites people, calls for reflection, and inspires the search for a better reality.

Reza Deghati's presence in Malta, his exhibition, his conference, and the monumental portrait dedicated to the woman from Khojaly became a tangible embodiment of reality.