Theory & Practice

Enri Canaj and the Aegean Sea

Ahead of his five-day residency in Lesvos this September, Enri Canaj shares his experience of the radiant Greek island that has inspired him for years

Enri Canaj

Shepherd Nikos, 60 years old. He owns a number of donkeys. Greece. 2023. © Enri Canaj / Magnum Photos

This year, from September 29 to October 3, 2025, Magnum photographer Enri Canaj is opening the doors to his own home to lead Visions of the Aegean, a photography residency on the Greek island of Lesvos. Over the course of five days, Canaj offers a rare opportunity for a creative photographic immersion under his personalized mentorship, on an ancient island deeply rooted in authenticity, silence, and stories from the past and present.

Lambie by the Aegean sea. “Spyros came to the coast after feeling burnt out by his profession. It was here, in the island’s most deserted area, that he encountered Lambie, a small lamb with an inju (...)

Workshop participants will have the chance to work at Phaino | The Stone Hub, a space created by Canaj that is “devoted to artistic exploration, where creativity gradually reveals itself, where the process is valued as much as the result.”

“Phaino (φαίνω) in Greek means to shine or to appear,” Canaj explains, “a word that evokes light, emergence, and transformation. It reflects the essence of the creative act: making the invisible visible.”

© Enri Canaj / Magnum Photos

Lesvos is in some ways a rare exception. A hub of Aegean antiquity and a site in Greek mythology, the island has preserved its ancient monuments and Roman aqueducts proof of its constant cultural exchanges for thousands of years —  while being secluded from the “noise of mass tourism.”

“The Aegean, and especially Lesvos, feels like stepping into another rhythm of time,” Canaj says. “In Lesvos, it’s not just about observing — it’s about being. You don’t pass through; you live with it, even if only for a while.”

A replica of the Afrodite Milos stands beneath the Aegean sun, surrounded by wild brush and arid hills. Milos, Greece. 2024. © Enri Canaj / Magnum Photos

“My relationship with Lesvos and the Aegean is deeply personal and layered,” he adds. “I began as a photographer drawn to a place where history, displacement, and beauty coexist — but over time, it became something more intimate. Lesvos was not just a location for documenting the flow of human journeys; it became a space where I witnessed the fragility and strength of the human spirit.”

A young Syrian boy comes out of the sea after an attempt to learn to swim. All asylum seekers can stay out of the camp until 7 p.m., at which point they have to return. This is a measure brought in (...)

Born in Tirana, Albania in 1980, Canaj migrated to Greece with his family in 1991. His first monograph, Say Goodbye Before You Leave (2022), was fueled by his desire to “share people’s emotions and stories” on the migrant condition. Eight years in the making, the project chronicled the first boats carrying migrants to European waters after the Arab Spring, and the devastating fire that ripped through the Moria refugee reception center in Lesvos, leaving 13,000 migrants and refugees without shelter. 

Mother teaches her daughter to swim. Lesvos, Greece. 2019. © Enri Canaj / Magnum Photos

Documenting the harsh realities of migrant crossings, Canaj was able to process his own family story. “These people’s present walked in parallel with my past,” he noted. “Photography helped me decompress all the experiences I was carrying within me. I stopped being a passive receptor of reality, and in doing so I acquired the possibility of expression,” he added.

Construction worker. Santorini is the island with the highest construction rates. Santorini, Greece. 2023
Afternoon tea time. After the big fire in Moria, everyone evacuated spent one week on the island hill. Moria, Lesvos. Greece. September 11, 2020.

Canaj’s relationship to Lesvos and the Aegean drives the ethos behind his workshop, which is grounded in “moments of stillness and connection — between people, places, and the past,” he says. “The island holds the weight of so many stories. The people I’ve met here — their strength, their dreams, and their determination to survive — have left a lasting imprint on me. Their resilience continues to inspire my practice every day,” Canaj says.

“But it’s not only the human stories — it’s also the atmosphere of the island itself. There’s something intangible in the air, a certain energy, a kind of aura that stays with you. For me, it feels like freedom — raw, quiet, and absolute,” he adds.

Emmersing in the Aegean. Santorini, Greece. 2023.
There are long queues to get meals inside Moria. Many people go fishing to provide food for their families. Lesvos, Greece. 2019. © Enri Canaj / Magnum Photos

Over the years, Canaj has ventured across the Aegean, documenting the lives of shepherds, migrants, and visitors in a sea that has seen centuries of flux. In these serene portraits, Canaj casts the sea as a ubiquitous protagonist: “The Aegean, with its shifting light and quiet expanses, holds stories in every wave — stories of departure and arrival, loss and hope. The sea has a memory, and in its rhythm, I recognize parts of my own journey too.”

In the space between memory and mystery, he photographs animals co-existing with inhabitants, who admire the light on the landscape, from mellow pastels to deep cerulean. In one image, a small, wriggling fish serves as a meal for a migrant family in Moria.

Lambie & Spyros in the Aegean. “Spyros came to the coast after feeling burnt out by his profession. It was here, in the island’s most deserted area, that he encountered Lambie, a small lamb with an (...)
On the Aegean coast. Lesvos, Greece. 2019. © Enri Canaj / Magnum Photos
A young boy on the island of Milos points a toy laser gun toward the camera. Childhood imagination meets summer evening energy. Milos, Greece. 2024. © Enri Canaj / Magnum Photos

Under Canaj’s mentorship at Phaino, participants in the Visions of the Aegean workshop will develop their own photographic project, from their first inspirations to the final edits. In exclusive one-to-one sessions, Canaj will offer his personalized insight to help deepen each participant’s practice, refine their narratives and encourage them to take meaningful leaps.

“More than just a studio, Phaino is a meeting point — a living, breathing hub for artists, thinkers, and makers. Nestled in the heart of Eressos, and shaped by the elemental presence of the Aegean Sea, it’s a space where ideas are stirred by the rhythms of wind, salt, and shifting light.”

Evening settles over the terraced hills of Folegandro visitors pause along the path, some walking, others sharing a quiet moment. Folegandros, Greece. 2024. © Enri Canaj / Magnum Photos
A young woman from China stands against the Aegean Sea, sunlight catching her lavender hair and colorful crochet top. Santorini, Greece. 2022. © Enri Canaj / Magnum Photos

The residency is also a chance for participants to exchange with fellow photographers, and receive feedback on their work through group review sessions. Between immersive field work and Canaj’s professional insight, the program is conceived to support each participant’s photographic voice, while forming an artistic community and lasting connections.

“It’s difficult to put into words just how deeply the island has shaped me — both as a person and as a photographer,” Canaj shares. “Here, where land meets sea, creativity unfolds slowly, honestly, and without constraint.”

Join Canaj in the Aegean this September by booking your place here.

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