Photographer Coucla Refaat‘s latest exhibition, Nile Surfers, offers a quiet yet piercing look at Aswan’s riverside culture. As part of the fourth edition of Cairo Photo Week, the exhibition runs from May 6 to 18 at Cairo Design District (CDD). Organized by Photopia and supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Ministry of Culture, and the Tourism Promotion Authority, the event brings together artists who document lived moments from communities around the world.
Photography as Record
Refaat’s series focuses on children who skate across the Nile on makeshift surfboards, singing to passengers on passing boats. These aren’t recreational performers. They’re working children, performing a practice that blends entertainment, survival, and cultural identity. Her photographs capture the energy, rhythm, and vulnerability of a tradition that exists beyond the reach of most Egyptians—let alone global viewers.
For Refaat, this work is part of a broader documentary journey. “Since ancient times, people have documented what matters to them,” she said. “It’s on temple walls and papyrus scrolls. Now it’s through our cameras.” Her commitment to visual storytelling is not rooted in nostalgia, but in preservation. She sees the photograph as a way to anchor memory in public view.
She added, “These kids are doing something you won’t see anywhere else. Their singing, their balancing act—it’s not just performance. It’s culture in motion.” Her goal is to highlight how people express their presence in everyday moments, especially within communities that rarely get the space or tools to represent themselves.
Shared Stories
Photopia’s founder, Marwa Abu Leila, sees Nile Surfers as central to the mission of Cairo Photo Week. “We want to showcase honest photography that reflects lived experiences. This exhibition sheds light on Aswan’s cultural uniqueness and the children’s ability to communicate their stories with simplicity and strength.”
Refaat’s artistic track record is extensive. She has documented rituals and traditions in countries such as India, Indonesia, and Thailand. Her work earned her the title “Ambassador of Arts in Egypt” in 2010, after she presented a series on cremation rituals in Bali at the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo. In 2012, she published Dance of Life, a photography book commissioned by the Royal Thai Embassy, which followed her journey through Thailand to explore cultural exchange between Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Cairo Photo Week itself is expanding in both scale and ambition. This year’s edition includes over 20 exhibitions across 14 venues in Downtown Cairo, featuring international institutions like World Press Photo, Vogue, National Geographic, and Getty Images. More than 100 discussion panels, workshops, and live demonstrations are scheduled, in partnership with European embassies and cultural councils.
In Nile Surfers, Refaat does what few photographers do with clarity—she records a fleeting practice before it vanishes. This is not an exercise in aesthetics. It’s a form of cultural responsibility. The exhibition isn’t about children on the Nile. It’s about who gets seen, who gets remembered, and who disappears when no one is paying attention.