A stunning collection of photos by Persian artist and photographer Khashayar Javanmardi. Javanmardi studied architecture at Guilan University of Art and Architecture in Iran then moved to Denmark and graduated in photojournalism from Danish Media and Journalism School in 2021. While he is now based in Lausanne, Switzerland, Javanmardi grew up on the shores of the Caspian Sea—a body of water surrounded by Iran on the South, Russia on the North, Azerbaijan to the West, and Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan on the East. The Caspian Sea sees approximately 122,000 tons of pollutants from the coastal states enter the marine environment every year.

Having witnessed the effects of unregulated exploitation, pollution, overfishing, and climate change first hand, Javanmardi’s ongoing project captures the environmental crisis and the lives of local inhabitants whose existence becomes smaller and poorer as the once-abundant resource diminishes. Javanmardi’s documentary approach is both observational and a form of activism, as it speaks to the urgency of our current environmental moment.

The project has been released as a photo book. Caspian: A Southern Reflection is available now via Loose Joints Publishing.