About

Ayman Kaake is a Lebanon-born, Naarm/Melbourne-based photo-media artist working across photography, video, and installation. His practice explores diasporic identity, memory, and queer experience through staged, cinematic imagery that blurs reality and fiction. Drawing on personal and political histories, his work reflects on displacement, belonging, and the intersections of religion and power.

Solo Shows

2026 'Stones will Remain Stones, Mars Gallery
2025 'Misbaha| The Prayer Beads|مسبحة', Counihan Gallery
2024 Feature Artist at PHOTO24
2024 'In Their Names', Eltham Library Community Gallery
2023 '99 Names', EDGE GALLERIES, Maldon
2023 '99 Names' represented by Midsumma Festival, Brunswick Street Gallery.
2023 'Exulansis', Monash Gallery of Art.
2019 'Hommage' a show in collaboration with Anna Kiparis, Off The Kerb.

Group Exhibitions

2026 Fresh Eyes Photography Publication & Exhibition, Hungry Eye Fair, Amsterdam
2026 'rūḥ al-rūḥ – jan-e janān' , West Space
2026 Edge of Existences, Contemporary art of Tasmania, Tasmania
2026 Queer Reclamation, Gasworks, curated by Josephine Mead
2025 I, Me, My, XYZ Gallery, Midsumma Festival, Melbourne
2025 Gadigal to Gaza, The factory theatre, Sydney
2025 Yè Ma, Arts House theatre, Melbourne
2025 Matrimony, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
2025 Art Fair, Dukkanah, Melbourne
2024 Angels in Exile, Incinerator Gallery, Melbourne
2024 Zaffé, season 2, Arts House theatre, Melbourne
2024 Arts Souk, Curated by MzRizk and Multicultural Arts Victoria, Art Centre Melbourne
2024 The Future Is Shaped by Those Who Can See It, Photo Festival 2024, Abbotsford Convent
2024 Bowness Prize 2024 finalist exhibition, Museum of Australian Photography, Melbourne
2023 Bowness Prize 2023 finalist exhibition, Museum of Australian Photography, Melbourne
2023 Zaffé, Malthouse theatre, Melbourne
2023 National Photographic Portrait Prize finalist exhibition, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
2023 Nillumbik Contemporary Art Prize finalist exhibition, Montsalvat, Melbourne
2023 Wyndham Art Prize finalist exhibition, Wyndham Art Centre, Melbourne
2022 William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize finalist exhibition, Museum of Australian Photography
2022 Vantage Point Sharjah 10, Alhamariya Studios, Dubai
2022 National Photographic Portrait Prize finalist exhibition, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
2022 Incinerator Art Prize finalist exhibition, Incinerator Gallery, Melbourne
2022 Australian Muslim Award finalist exhibition, Islamic Museum, Melbourne
2022 Midsumma and Australia Post Art Award finalist exhibition, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne
2022 Small Works Art Prize exhibition, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
2022 Multifaith Art Exhibition, Incinerator Gallery, Melbourne
2022 Légitimes, Solruim Gallery, France
2022 Joy Seekers, Off the Kerb, Melbourne
2022 CCP Salon 2022, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
2021 The 5th Noel Counihan Commemorative Art Award, Counihan Gallery, Melbourne
2021 OUT, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
2021 Room To Create, Collingwood Yards, Melbourne
2020 Pink, Tacit Gallery & Midsumma festival, Melbourne
2020 Company Of Men, Club 80, Melbourne
2020 After Dawn, Albert Street Gallery, Melbourne
2018 Fortyfive Downstairs Art Award finalist exhibition, Fortyfive Downstairs Gallery, Melbourne
2017 Provocaré, On Chapel Street Gallery, Melbourne

Book Publication

2026 Fresh Eyes Photography, Powered by GUP Magazine, Amesterdam
2024 99 Names, Published by Tall Poppy Press, Launched at International Photo Festival, Melbourne
2022 LÉGITIMES?, Collaboration book published by Clara Fantassin, Lunched at ABCgalerie, France
2021 Beirut, Photobook Self-Published
2021 Group of Zines, Self-Published
2021 Rabbit, Photo and poetry collaboration with RMIT University, Melbourne

Awards

2025 Grant Recipient, Creative Australia
2025 Highly Commanded, Olive Cotton Award
2024 Rainbow Exhibition 2024 recipient, Nillumbik Shire Council commission program
2024 Green Room Nomination for Best Set Design, Malthouse theatre
2023 Highly Commanded, William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize, MAPh
2022 Midsumma and Australia Post Art Award Winner, Midsumma Festival
2022 Small Works Art Prize Winner, Brunswick Street Gallery
2022 Best self-portrait from RMIT winner, Centre for Contemporary Photography
2022 Best video work from ACMI winner, Centre for Contemporary Photography
2021 Highly Commanded, The 5th Noel Counihan Commemorative Art Award, Counihan Gallery
2020 Room to Create Art Residency Program recipient, Collingwood Yards
2020 RMIT Excellence in staged photography winner, Centre for Contemporary Photography
2018 People’s choice award recipient, Midsumma festival
2018 Emerging Artist Award winner, Fortyfive Downstairs Gallery
2017 Emerging Artist Award winner, Provocaré
2016 Small Works Award winner, Brunswick Street Gallery
2016 Best Conceptual Folio winner, Melbourne Polytechnic
2014 Click 14 Award winner, Brunswick Street Gallery