“Eclipse,” a provocative and powerful look through the lens of photojournalist Zalmaï Ahad at disputed territories and dispossessed peoples, will be exhibited at the DePaul Art Museum (DAM), 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., from Jan. 7 through March 20, 2005.

The exhibition of the Afghani photographer’s work opens Jan. 7 with a public reception in the museum from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“Eclipse” features 35 searing photographs that document the uncertainty of life in ambiguous territories around the world, including Cuba, India, Mali, the Philippines, Afghanistan and Egypt. Ahad’s work has been acclaimed as capturing both the details specific to place – from the Day of the Dead skeleton in Mexico to the rickshaw driver in Calcutta – and themes common to all areas of transition, displacement, loss and tragedy.

Born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1964, Ahad fled his homeland in 1980 to escape Soviet occupation. Currently residing in New York City, he works on assignments around the world as a freelance photographer for the New York Times and the Geneva Tribune. In traversing the globe, the displaced photojournalist – informed by the tragedy of his own homeland – offers a unique perspective of the toll exacted on the individual in time of conflict and war.

“Zalmaï’s photography draws us into a world that we know exists behind the headlines, but seldom get to see up-close and intimately,” said Louise Lincoln, director of the DAM. “In his images, war zones, even hospitals, appear menacing and the dispossessed human figures inhabiting them so fragile that survival itself seems miraculous.”

Ahad and his family settled in Lausanne, Switzerland after leaving Afghanistan. He studied at the School of Creative Photography and at the Center of Professional Education in Photography in Yverdon. His photography has been exhibited at the Musée d’ Elysée, Lausanne and Photoforum, Lucerne, Switzerland. His exhibition “Afghanistan,” produced by the German, Austrian and International Red Cross toured Switzerland, Germany and Austria. “Eclipse” is an Umbrage Editions Traveling Exhibition organized by the Musée d’Elysée.

The DePaul Art Museum is free and open to the public. Museum hours are: Mon. – Thurs., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., noon to 5 p.m. For more information about Ahad’s “Eclipse” and future exhibitions of the DePaul Art Museum, call 773/325-7506 or visit the Web site at museums.depaul.edu/artwebsite .