Cédric Gerbehaye (1977, BE) is a documentary photographer and filmmaker, a National Geographic Explorer whose work spans photography, visual journalism and archival research. His practice explores complex themes including geopolitics, human rights and identity.
Originally from Brussels where he obtained a Master in journalism from the Institut des Hautes Etudes des Communications Sociales, Gerbehaye is the author of the books Congo in Limbo that reflects the conflict consuming the Democratic Republic of Congo, Land of Cush on the process that preceded and followed the independence of South Sudan, D’entre eux in his native country during a period of economic and social crisis, Zoonose recording the consequences of the fight against the recent pandemic, to anchor it in our collective history, Kashmir. Wait & See a visual essay documenting the human realities and tensions in the Kashmir region on both sides of the Line of Control separating India and Pakistan and more recently Panoptik structured as an investigation and a diary. It juxtaposes contemporary images with a collection of archival photographs of Brussels prisons and documents from the prison administration to tell a story of incarceration spanning more than a century.
Among Gerbehaye’s numerous accolades are The Olivier Rebbot Award from the Overseas Press Club of America, The Amnesty International Media Award, The World Press Photo, The Roger Pic Prize and The Lucas Dolega Award. His work has been featured in publications such as The New Yorker, Time, The New York Times, Stern, GEO, National Geographic and Le Monde, among others, and has been exhibited internationally.
Photographs by Gerbehaye are to be found in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Musée de la Photographie in Charleroi, Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris and the FoMu – FotoMuseum in Antwerp.
La Peine (2024), his feature-length documentary film, is an intimate and unprecedented plunge among his neighbours into the depths of prison life. By following the daily lives of the walled-in – inmates, guards and director – the film reveals the cracks and hopes of a humanity that is trying to resist its own negation.
Cédric is engaged as an educator for different audiences in schools and workshops.
Cédric Gerbehaye
+32 476 341 906
gerbehaye@gmail.com
Awards - Grants
2025 Documentary photography grant – Centre National des Arts Plastiques
2025 Ensor Award for La Peine
2025 Magritte du cinéma – selection best documentary for La Peine
2023 Special Mention and Award for La Peine – Festival des Libertés
2022 National Geographic Explorer Grant
2022 The Lucas Dolega Award
2020 National Geographic Society Grantee
2017 Centre National du cinéma et de l’image animée – CNC
2015 Brouillon d’un rêve – Scam
2013 Prix AFD du web-documentaire
2012 Prix SCAM – Roger Pic
2011 VISA d’Or Magazine – Finalist
2011 Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
2011 Pictures of the Year International
2011 Fnac Grant
2010 Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund
2008 World Press Photo Award – General News Story
2008 The Olivier Rebbot Award – Overseas Press Club of America
2008 The Amnesty International Media Award
2008 Pictures of the Year International
2008 NPPA – The Best of Photojournalism
2008 Nikon Press Photo Award
2008 Prix du Festival international du scoop et du journalisme d’Angers
2007 Bayeux Calvados Award for War Correspondents – Young reporter
2007 Joop Swart Masterclass – World Press Photo
2006 Prix Photographie ouverte – Musée de la photographie de Charleroi
2005 Bourse de le Fondation de la vocation
Exhibitions
2028 Panoptik – Museum Dr Guislain – Gent
2027 Panoptik – Musée Nicéphore Nièpce – France
2027 Panoptik – Espace Vanderborght – Brussels
2026 Panoptik – Maison de la culture de Tournai
2026 Kashmir. Wait & See – Galerie Maupetit – Marseille
2025 Buxbaumia – Château d’Assas – France
2025 Kashmir. Wait & See – Visa pour l’image – France
2023 Sans papiers, Sans droits, Sans abri – Bourse de Bruxelles – Belgium
2023 Serment – C.H.U Brugmann Parc- Brussels – Belgium
2023 Horizons – Institut pour la photographie – Lille – France
2022 Zoonose – Musée Ianchelevici – La Louvière – Belgium
2022 Inside the curve : Stories from the pandemic – United Nations Headquarter – NYC- USA
2021 Reset – De Markten – Brussels, Belgium
2020 Réalités données – Institut pour la photographie – Lille – France
2018 Unrest – De Markten – Bruxelles – Belgium
2017 Mise au Poing – Topographie de l’art – Paris – France
2016 Eyes Wide Open – Sint-Pietersabdij – Gent – Belgium
2016 D’entre eux – Théâtre National – Bruxelles – Belgium
2015 D’entre eux – FoMu – Fotomuseum d’Anvers – Belgium
2015 D’entre eux – Mons 2015, capitale européenne de la culture – Belgium
2014 Congo in Limbo – KVS – Bruxelles – Belgium
2013 Sète#13 – Paris Photo – Paris – France
2013 Sète#13 – Festival ImageSingulières – Sète – France
2013 Land of Cush – War Photo Limited – Dubrovnik – Croatia
2013 War/Photography Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath – Brooklyn Museum – NYC – USA
2013 War/Photography Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath – The Annenberg Space – L.A – USA
2013 War/Photography Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath – Museum of Fine Arts – Houston – USA
2012 Belgique – Festival Photoreporter en Baie de Saint-Brieuc – France
2012 Land of Cush – Galeries Fnac – France
2012 Congo in Limbo – Théâtre National – Bruxelles – Belgium
2012 Fleuve Congo – Galerie Noir et Blanc – Saint-Etienne – France
2012 Moving Cities – Théâtre national – Bruxelles – Belgium
2011 Land of Cush – Visa pour l’image – Perpignan – France
2011 Congo in Limbo – FotoArt Festival Bielsko – Poland
2011 Congo in Limbo – Centre culturel Mer baltique de Gdansk – Poland
2011 Congo in Limbo – Galerie M55 – Athènes – Greece
2010 Fleuve Congo – Visa pour l’image – Perpignan – France
2010 Congo in Limbo – Le Botanique Museum – Bruxelles – Belgium
2010 Congo in Limbo – Galerie Fait & Cause – Paris – Belgium
2010 Congo in Limbo – Librairie Saint-Hubert – Bruxelles – Belgium
2009 Congo in Limbo – Anastasia Gallery – NYC – USA
2009 Nord-Kivu – Prix Bayeux-Calvados des correspondants de guerre -France
2009 La guerre sans dentelles – Château de Versailles – France
2009 Africa Report – ISELP – Bruxelles – France
2008 Fabriques de l’Europe – Cité de l’architecture – Paris – France
2008 Congo in Limbo – Visa pour l’image – Perpignan – France
2008 Congo in Limbo – TOPS World Photojournalism Festival – China
2006 Hebron H2 – Musée de la Photographie de Charleroi – Belgium