Hicham Benohoud Wins Award at Paris Photo

Yesterday, the Moroccan photographer Hicham Benohoud won the Paris Photo Award for Photobook of the Year with his iconic series The Classroom.
It is a powerful moment for an artist whose journey began in a very unexpected place: a middle-school classroom in Marrakech.

As a child, Benohoud dreamed of becoming an artist. He loved his art classes and chose visual arts in high school, where he earned his diploma. But studying abroad was too expensive, and opportunities to study art in Morocco were limited.
So he became an art teacher in his hometown.

But teaching never stopped his creativity.
Inside his classroom, he transformed the space into his personal studio. Together with his students, he staged unusual scenes — students lying on the floor, standing on tables, or placed in surreal compositions. These images were not just playful; they were his way of reflecting on society and its structures.

These experiments became The Classroom, his first major body of work. At the time, he had no idea that these photos would later be shown in museums, biennales, and galleries around the world.

After 13 years of teaching, and several projects in Europe, Benohoud decided to leave his job and dedicate himself completely to art.
He describes this moment as a new chapter — one that finally gave him the freedom and space to grow.

Today’s award at Paris Photo is not only a celebration of his book, but a tribute to a journey shaped by persistence, creativity, and belief in possibility.