Can you describe three life moments that made you who you are today?

If I think about it, there are three ongoing experiences that have shaped who I am today.

The first is studying philosophy. It didn’t just teach me theories it changed the way I think. It helped me question social and traditional frameworks, and break them when needed, so I can look at reality more directly. Sometimes these structures seem normal, but they can distance us from seeing things clearly. This way of thinking is still present in how I approach photography.

The second is migration. It was not what I expected at all. I went through a kind of emotional and mental breakdown, and I had to rebuild myself from the ground up. I am still in that process. It can be exhausting, but sometimes it also gives me courage.

The third for me is the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement. For me, it was not a temporary political moment, but the manifestation of years of resistance and struggle by women in Iran. What was expressed in this movement was something simple yet fundamental: the demand for life, a life in freedom, equality, human dignity, security, a degree of well-being, and the possibility of living an ordinary, earthly life. And for me, after this, the responsibility I carry is to practice these three words.

These experiences continue to shape both who I am and the work I create

Who or what is inspiring you to make work these days?

At first, this answer might sound a bit self-centered, but the truth is that I always start from myself. In a way, I am always photographing myself, both when I was in Iran and now in migration. From looking at myself, I gradually arrive at others, and at a shared sense of experience. In migration, this process continues. I begin again from myself, but through this repetition and persistence, I reach others, experiences that are no longer only mine. What inspires me to keep working today is this very process, the continuous effort to understand myself and, through that, to reach others.

How would you describe your aesthetic to someone who has never seen your work? What is your eye drawn to?

In my work, the aesthetic emerges from a combination of form, light, and feeling. But for me, these are not just tools, they are a way of reaching a voice and a certain state. My eye is drawn to moments that appear simple on the surface, but carry a sense of tension or pressure underneath. I’m drawn to bodies, to their presence in space, and to the things they carry invisibly, emotion, limitation, or memory.

What went into capturing your winning image?

When I was in Iran, there was a wave of acid attacks happening in different cities, especially in my city, Isfahan. This violence against women was being used as a way to control and suppress them. At that time, I was working on a project about women. A simple question stayed with me: “Why?” Why is this violence being inflicted on women? I came to understand that the roots of this violence lie in structures that restrict women in laws that are against them, and in the intersection of tradition, religion, and legal systems in Iran. This experience and this question became part of the context that led to this image.

Where do you feel you are at in your creative journey?

Overall, I don’t see this path as a fixed point or a final destination, it’s more of an ongoing process. And perhaps more importantly, I always carry the feeling that I’m still an amateur.

What’s one piece of good advice someone gave you, and who said it?

One of the most important pieces of advice I’ve received came from my partner: that in art, there are no shortcuts to creating work or reaching maturity. It reminds me that this process takes time, patience, and persistence, and that things unfold in their own time.

Complete this sentence: For me, photography is…

It might sound very personal, but for me, photography is a way not to lose myself.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve seen, heard or experienced recently?

Recently, I read the book: The Power of the Powerless by Václav Havel has been very influential for me, especially in relation to what is happening in Iran. Two lines from the book stayed with me: “In a system built on lies, living in truth is itself a political act” and “He has said that the emperor is naked” (the greengrocer).

What is one thing you want to accomplish this next year?

For me, the photography is not only meant to be seen, but to act. It is a call to action. At the same time, I want my images to draw people in and make them stay with them, to feel the need to understand what lies beneath.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish in your lifetime?

I hope to create work that is not only seen, but that truly affects people, work that can create change, even in a small way. Alongside this, one of my long-term goals is to establish a school of philosophy or art in Iran—for children who have been deprived of basic opportunities.

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