Tahmineh MONZAVI (1988) is an Iranian photographer with bachelor degree from Azad Art & Architecture University of Tehran. In 2005, as a documentary photographer, she began her artistic life. She also started making documentary videos in 2009. Her main topics of interest are social conflicts and the young generation of Iran.
Since 2006 when she started using the media of photography, she has focused on "social contradictions". In her works, she has been finding subjects that are taking place in secrecy and are unofficial in Tehran. These underground social layers are hidden from the eyes of the public and not everyone gets to see. She had the urge to show deeper, hidden currents within the Iranian society, culture and art.
In 2009 she began incorporating documentaries alongside photography, as films have more to tell in her opinion. Nevertheless it doesn't lessen the influence of a photograph. In 2011 she received the prestigious "Sheed Award"; an independent, non-profit, private photography award. This award goes to the social documentary photographer of the year and is the only Iranian completion to have internationally qualified members, beside Iranian leading photographers in the jury.
Her works have also been published by more than a few international art magazines and books such as Internationale, British journal of photography, Le Figaro, L'oeil de la photographie, Alternatives History, La photographie Iranienn (published by LOCO) and Iran unedited history 19602014 (published by Muse D'Art Moderne de la ville de Paris).
Her photographs have also been demonstrated in some museums around the world such as Musée d´Art Moderne della Ville de Paris; Literature Museum of Giorgia and Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI secolo MAXXI (Roma). Her latest series was widely appreciated by the media. In The brides of Mokhber alDowleh, Monzavi told the story of a very elegant work of art done by the rough hands of men. Her photo exhibition was held in Silkroad Gallery in Tehran as well as Paris, Rome, Vienna, Boston and South Korea. Monzavi has also done an interesting project on Transsexualism which addresses how a minority within traditional Iranian society yearns for and attempts to find wider social acceptance and recognition.
Her vision was changed after a month of being imprisoned; she started looking at her society differently. After a year of not working she began to work on a project called All about me; nicknamed Queen Maker, in which she points out the deep feelings of womanhood and womanly dreams.
Monzavi is also known for the length of her projects. Ever since the beginning she has tried to work in long intervals as she thinks that in documentary photography, it's a must to be able to observe the passing of time and the happenings of life to have a better perspective over the topic. Now she is working on a long interval project of photo stories about young generation and women of Iran in various cities.
Tahmineh Monzavi lives and works in Tehran (Iran).
Since 2006 when she started using the media of photography, she has focused on "social contradictions". In her works, she has been finding subjects that are taking place in secrecy and are unofficial in Tehran. These underground social layers are hidden from the eyes of the public and not everyone gets to see. She had the urge to show deeper, hidden currents within the Iranian society, culture and art.
In 2009 she began incorporating documentaries alongside photography, as films have more to tell in her opinion. Nevertheless it doesn't lessen the influence of a photograph. In 2011 she received the prestigious "Sheed Award"; an independent, non-profit, private photography award. This award goes to the social documentary photographer of the year and is the only Iranian completion to have internationally qualified members, beside Iranian leading photographers in the jury.
Her works have also been published by more than a few international art magazines and books such as Internationale, British journal of photography, Le Figaro, L'oeil de la photographie, Alternatives History, La photographie Iranienn (published by LOCO) and Iran unedited history 19602014 (published by Muse D'Art Moderne de la ville de Paris).
Her photographs have also been demonstrated in some museums around the world such as Musée d´Art Moderne della Ville de Paris; Literature Museum of Giorgia and Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI secolo MAXXI (Roma). Her latest series was widely appreciated by the media. In The brides of Mokhber alDowleh, Monzavi told the story of a very elegant work of art done by the rough hands of men. Her photo exhibition was held in Silkroad Gallery in Tehran as well as Paris, Rome, Vienna, Boston and South Korea. Monzavi has also done an interesting project on Transsexualism which addresses how a minority within traditional Iranian society yearns for and attempts to find wider social acceptance and recognition.
Her vision was changed after a month of being imprisoned; she started looking at her society differently. After a year of not working she began to work on a project called All about me; nicknamed Queen Maker, in which she points out the deep feelings of womanhood and womanly dreams.
Monzavi is also known for the length of her projects. Ever since the beginning she has tried to work in long intervals as she thinks that in documentary photography, it's a must to be able to observe the passing of time and the happenings of life to have a better perspective over the topic. Now she is working on a long interval project of photo stories about young generation and women of Iran in various cities.
Tahmineh Monzavi lives and works in Tehran (Iran).