He was born on 14 August 1943 in El-Barazin, Syria. He has been living in Hungary since 1967, and has been a Hungarian citizen also since 1979. His wife Sarolta Bodor is an insurance specialist at Alianz Hungary. He has two children, Leila is an economist and Zsolt is a lawyer, he also has two grandsons and a granddoughter. He graduated from the Technical College of Kecskemét as an engineer and then in 1976 he became a teacher-engineer. After finishing his studies he had several workplaces, among them he worked for SZIM in Kecskemét, for Agrikon as a qualified engineer and later on he represented his Hungarian firm in Algeria and Morocco. Except the jobs abroad he lives in Kecskemét-Hetényegyháza.
He has been working as a photographer since 1968; he usually exhibits at collective and individual exhibitions.
He has exhibited his photos for more than 250 times at individual exhibitions. Among others he organized an exhibition for the benefit of refugees from Transylvania in 1989 and for the autistic children in 1999, and he nobly offered his works for the restoration works of the Hungarian Photographers' House in 2002. In addition to this he is the member of the Town-Planning Association in Hetényegyháza. Since 1990 he has been taking advertisement and fashion photos in his own studio and he has been designing leaflets, prospectuses and catalogues.
Several reviews and the media have been dealing with him both in Hungary and abroad. Mainly his black and white sociophotos, portraits, landscapes of the desert, and photos of outstanding Hungarian literary men are wellknown (for instance: Gyula Illyés, György Faludy, Ferenc Buda, Sándor Kányádi, András Sütő, Nándor Gion, Péter Esterházy, Balázs Diószegi, Menyhért Tóth). He is closely connected to FORRÁS – that is a magazine on literature, sociography and art in Kecskemét. He was participant and exhibitor of the creative community centre in Nagybaracska from its foundation till its cessation. At the end of the year 2006 he made a unique attempt, namely he made the private portfolio for twelve sportsmen chosen from the talented youths of Kecskemét. He prepared an excellent artistic calendar from these portfolios and a series of exhibition started. He regularly participates at the Pens' Camp in Veránka. He introduces and presents the illustrious and outstanding Hungarian cultural and historical events and figures with his writings and photos in the monthly magazine „Blue Danube", an Arabian language magazine published in almost twenty countries of the world. Furthermore he is a collaborator at the Kecskemét Magazine as well as at the Kecskemet Information website.
His photos are usually displayed in the weekly magazine titled Kecskeméti Lapok.
He is a founding member and a fellow-worker of the Hetényi Köztér (Plaza of Hetény) newspaper.
A portrait movie of Iskander edited by Zsuzsanna Sári was presented on the 39th Hungarian Film Festival. He is married with two children: Leila who is an economist and Zsolt who is a lawyer.
1968 Rosti Pál Photo Club
1972 Photo Club, Kecskemét, Hungary
1980 The Association of the Hungarian Photographers
1987 Art Foundation (today: Association of the Hungarian Artists)
1990 The Association of the Hungarian Journalists
He has also been a member of the Workshop Artistic Association.
The number of his awards, prizes is over one hundred, among others:
1968 National University and College Photo Competition Award
1977 Nivo Award of Association of Hungarian Photoartists
1978 1st place at the 13th Gyula Kulich Premfoto Exhibition in Békéscsaba
1979 Nivo Award of Association of Hungarian Photoartists
1979 Art Award of Bács-Kiskun County
1986 SZMT-prize
1987 Award by the Ministry of Culture
2004 Award for the Public Education of Kecskemét
2005 Art Award of Bács-Kiskun County
2007 Candidate representing Bács-Kiskun County for Prima Primissima Award and reaching the final
2008 The order of merit of the Hungarian Republic - Knight Cross
2010 Regional Prima Award/Hungarian fine art category
2010 Award of the Ministry of Culture of Egypt
2011 Award of Ministry of Arts, Culture and heritage of Qatar
2011 Pilinszky Award
2012 "Pro urbe" Award, City of Kecskemet
2012 Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic, Officer's Cross
2012 Pro Urbe Prize, Kecskemét
2012 Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic, Officer's Cross
2019. Bulgaria Commemorative Medal (the highest ministerial award given to a civil person)
2021. The 75th Anniversary of the end of the II. World War (Honorary Medal given by the Minister of Defense of the Bulgarian Republic)
2021. 75th Anniversary Commemorative Medal for the Victory over fascism (given by the Bulgarian President of the Veteran Association)
2021. Bahget Iskander Photo Artist Life Work (Bács-Kiskun County CSD)
2021. Golden Diploma (Dunaújváros)
2021. Pál Rosti Patron of the Commemorative Session (Dunaújváros)
2022. Capa Robert Award
2022. Kossuth Award
Main collective and one-man shows and exhibitions
1975 Calgary,Canada, Alabama, USA
1976 Calgary, Canada, New-Zealand, Dunaújváros, Hungary
1977 Hongkong Nagykanizsa, Mosonmagyaróvár, Szolnok, Gyula, Hungary
1978 Kecskemét, Kalocsa, Hetényegyháza, Lajosmizse, Hungary
1979 Dávod, Kecskemét, Pécs, Kaposvár, Marcalli, Izsák, Lakitelek, Kazincbarcika, Salgótarján, Makó, Kiskunmajsa, Balástya, Kiskunfélegyháza, Hungary, Yugoslavia
1981 Blida , Algeria
1983 Budapest, Hungary
1984 Kecskemét, Nyíregyháza, Hungary
1987 Budapest, Hungary
1996 Denmark
Targu Mures, Romania
2000 Szeged, Hungary
2001 France2002 Kecskemét, Dunaújváros, Hungary
2003 Csongrád, Hódmezővásárhely, Hungary
Miercurea Ciuc, Targu Mures, Odorheiu Secuiesc, Romania
2004 Damascus, Jebla, Lattaki, Syria, Kiskunhalas, Kecskemét, Hungary
2005 Kecskemét, Békéscsaba, Hungary, Jebla, Syria
2006 Kecskemét, Kecel, Császártöltés, Hungary, Zombor, Serbia
2007 Kecskemét, Hetényegyháza, Hungary
2008 Zombor, Serbia, Jabla, Syria, Kecskemét, Nagykőrös, Soltvadkert, Hungary
2009 Lakitelek, Budapest, Kecel, Hungary
2010 Tiszakécske, Hungary, Damascus, Latakia, Syria, Kairo, Egypt, Tokaj, Budapest, Kecskemét, Hungary /Egyiptom "magyar" szemmel/
2011 Doha, Quatar
2012 Kiskőrös, Hungary
2013 Budapest, Hungary Museion No.1 Art Gallery
2014 Budapest, Hungary National Dance Theatre
2014 Kecskemét, Hungary "MOTHERHOOD-ANYASÁG"
2014 Sofia, Bulgaria Exhibition and Traveling exhibition
2014 Vienna, Austria Egyptian Cultural Center
2015 Budapest, Hungary Buda Castle- National Széchényi Library
2016 Szófia (Bulgária)
2017. Sofia (Bulgaria, Sofia Hungarian Institute, Hungarian Intellectual Presence in Bulgaria)
2018. Kecskemét (Fancy Palace, Iskander 75)
2019. Sofia (Bulgaria, Sofia Central Military Club, veterans)
2019. Kecskemét (50 yeas of The Forrás)
2019. Kecskemét (Faces of the Great Plain)
2021. Felsőzsolca (Bulgaria)
2022. Kecskemét Spaletta
Bahget Iskander's artworks can be found in numerous collections, galleries and museums, in Romania (Transylvania), in Serbia, in Bulgaria, at the Egyptian National Museum (Achmed Shawki Museum), in Siria (the Latakisi Cultural Center), at the Photographers' Association of Qatar, in Oman and in the Photographers' Museum in Kecskemét, among others. A number of media appearances, weekly and daily newspapers, radio and television interviews dealt with in his works, both in Hungary and abroad His permanent exhibition can be visited at the Community Centre of Hetényegyháza.
Filmography
1996 Film Portrait by Janos Kriskó, Kecskemet TV
2008 Film Portrait by Zsuzsanna Sári shown on 39rd Hungarian Film Festival, Bem Cinema
2012 Interview with photographer Bahget Iskander in Aljazeera
2014. Kultikon (Duna Television)
2014. Kvartett (MTVA)
2015. Kultion (Duna Television)
2016. Bahget Iskander's work (Al Ghad Al Arabi Television)
2016. Magazin (Kecskemét Television)
2018. Élő emlékezet (Kecskemét Television)
2019. Kuwait Television
2019 ISKANDER biopic directed by the great Venelin Shurelov Bulgaria
2021. Bahget Iskander Art of the Light (Hungarian Hollywood Council/KissFilm –Studio, Budapest)
Publications
His photos have appeared in a number of books, poetry anthologies and publications as illustrations, apart from the pages of WIKIPEDIA
1988. István Antalfy – Pál Szabó: Miklós in the Current of Changes
1996. Endre Szekér: Ferenc Buda
1996. Good Investment Opportunity – Kecskemét
2000. Pál Bánszky: New Carving Tradition 1973 – 1998
2004. Pál Bánszky: Folk Sculpture
2007. Nándor Gion: Playing for Villains Too (Life work/1)
2007. Jolán Töröcsik: The Inlaid
2009. Young Writers' Meeting – Lakitelek 1979 – 2009
2010. László Füzi: On the Border of Worlds
2010. Zoltán Király: Those Heroic Times
2012. Zsuzsa Szentgyörgyi: István Lepsényi
2012. Pál Bánszki: Ferenc Orisek Carving Sculptor – the Master of Folk Art
2012. A Handful of World (life work album in Hungarian, Arabic and English)
2014. Adonis: Mirror for Orpheus
2014. Mónika Miklya Luzsányi: Our Everyday Hugs
2014. Annak Kis – Tibor Mező Phd: Dog First Aid
2016. Károly Orosz: The Cemetery of Vecsés I.
2021. Tibor Borzák: GipsySoul
2022. Tibor Borzák: A Moment (Portrait of Bahget Iskander's Photo Art)
Discs
2001. Kinga Illyés: Takeaway (CD)
2001. Kuna Family: New World (CD)
2006. Ferenc Buda: Over the Wall (My '56) (CD)
2006. Kecel Dressed Nice
2007. Scout Songs and Memories (CD)
His photos appear in numerous catalogues, brochures and introductory materials, among others:
ZKI – Vetőmag Kft.
UNIVER Zrt.
Pro – Coop Zrt.
CERBONA Kft.
KNORR – BREMSE Kft.
EMKA Zrt.
KISKUN Kutatóintézet Kft.
ZWACK Nyrt.
Photo album "A handful of world", which summarizes my life's work, was published in 2012. The album serves as a basis for dialogue between cultures. In September of 2013, the cultural magazine „Forrás" published a wide interview and appreciation about my art activities.
