Lily Bandak the Photographer

Lily Bandak
ليلي البندك


Lily Bandak was born in Amman, Jordan and went to grade school in Bethlehem on the West Bank. She has lived in the US since 1960 residing in Newark, Delaware. She was educated at the Académie De La Grande Chaumiér in Paris, The Philadelphia College of Art, The University of Delaware and the Antonelli College of Photography.

Her work with major public figures in the Middle East has included assignments as the personal photographer of Mrs. Anwar Sadat and the King and Queen of Jordan. She has also had the opportunity to photograph Yasser Arafat and Mrs. Hariri. In 1978, Ms. Bandak was invited by the government of Egypt to document the people and monuments of that country. These photographs were exhibited in Egypt, Washington DC and across the US They were later compiled into a book, "Images of Egypt". She has also exhibited at the World Trade Center in New York City, in Washington DC at the Capital Rotunda, Los Angeles, and at the Paralympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia in 1996 where Prince Raad opened her exhibition. She has done many other exhibits around the world. She was the first photographer to have work accepted into the permanent collection of the White House during the Carter administration.

In the early eighties, Ms. Bandak's career was in full swing. She was showing her work internationally, including an exhibit at the California Museum of Science and Industry that was seen by more than a third of a million people in four weeks. In 1983 she opened a photo-journalism department at Yarmouk University in Jordan and began to teach photography.

Soon after this, in 1984 Ms. Bandak was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and stopped working due to her physical disability. For several years, she fought the disease and searched many countries, including: the US; China (for acupuncture and herbs); Europe; Africa; and the Middle East for a cure. After doubting that she would ever be able to return to the work she loved, because of her severe physical disability caused by her illness, she learned of the existence of Vocational Rehabilitation, a Federal program that assists the disabled in returning to work through modern technology. She designed a camera mount to be attached to her wheelchair which makes it possible for her to return to work.

In 1994, Ms. Bandak founded the Bandak Foundation. The Bandak Foundation encourages people with disabilities to enter into the work force and integrate into society. In November of 1995, Ms. Bandak., on the invitation by Her Majesty, Queen Noor and King Hussein of Jordan, she traveled and photographed in Jordan. She also traveled to Bahrain on the invitation of the Ministry of Information of Bahrain, and to Lebanon on the invitation of the World Rehabilitation Fund.

Ms. Bandak was invited back to Jordan by Her Majesty Queen Noor, to Lebanon by Bahia Hariri and to Bahrain by the Ministry of Labor to exhibit her new work from the wheelchair. The invitation from both dignitaries and the Bandak Foundation's wishes are that there would be more support leaders from the Arab world.

In August 1996, Ms. Bandak was chosen to participate at the Cultural Paralympiad to exhibit her photographs of the Arab World in Atlanta, Georgia by the Very Special Arts, and the Cultural Paralympic Committee.

In November of 1996, Ms. Bandak had an exhibition under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan and in March of 1997 she had an exhibition of her work in Lebanon on the invitation of Ms. Bahia Hariri of the Hariri Foundation. She exhibited her work at the Very Special Arts Gallery, the Capitol Rotunda, and at the US Arab Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC, in 1996. Her work was most recently on display from November through December, 1997 at the University of Delaware.

For many years Ms. Bandak stopped working due to her deteriorating physical condition. In 2004, Ms. Bandak’s work of Palestinian National Dress was placed in the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. In 2005, Ms. Bandak went to Beijing, China for medical treatments with the financial help of HRH Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal. While there, she discussed doing an exhibit of the Arab World she loves. Living in the West for so many years, she realized how little people know about the culture and history of the Middle East and how misunderstood it. Through the project, Lily hopes to demonstrate all of the modern technologies that have been achieved and the advancements of women in the Arab world at the Olympic Games 2008. This type of exhibit has never been done at the Olympic Games before. Since the press will be covering the Olympic Games, it will give great exposure to a part of the world that has not been exposed much culturally.