Hengameh Golestan ( fa, هنگامه گلستان; born Hengameh Jalali (), 1952) is an Iranian photographer. She is considered a pioneer among Iranian women photographers. In March 1979, when in the aftermath of the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

women in Iran began protesting the new government's rule ordering them to wear

hijab In modern usage, hijab ( ar, حجاب, translit=ḥijāb, ) generally refers to headcoverings worn by Muslim women. Many Muslims believe it is obligatory for every female Muslim who has reached the age of puberty to wear a head covering. While ...

s, she photographed the gatherings in the capital, in the process becoming one of few

documentary photographer Documentary photography usually refers to a popular form of photography used to chronicle events or environments both significant and relevant to history and historical events as well as everyday life. It is typically undertaken as professional pho ...

s active in the country.

Life and work

Golestan began working as a photographer at the age of 18; for a while she attended photography school in England, but otherwise she learned the craft from working as an assistant to her husband, photojournalist

Kaveh Golestan Kāveh Golestān Taghavi Shirazi ( fa, کاوه گلستان; 8 July 1950 – 2 April 2003) was an Iranian photojournalist and artist. In 1988 he took the first pictures of the aftermath of the Halabja chemical attack during the Iran–Iraq War. ...

; the couple had married in 1975, and later had a son, Mehrak. She began her career in 1972, when there were only a handful of women photographers in the country. At the start of her career her preferred subject was everyday life in

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

. However, in March 1979, when in the aftermath of the

women in Iran began protesting the new government's rule ordering them to wear

s, she photographed the gatherings in the capital, in the process becoming one of few

s active in the country. These photographs became the basis for the "Witness 1979" series, the majority of which was not exhibited until 2015. Later in her career, Golestan asked to travel to the front lines to photograph the

Iran–Iraq War The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for almost eight years, until the acceptance of United Nations Security Council ...

, a request which was denied due to her gender. She moved to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

with her husband and son in 1984. Stylistically, Golestan has cited

Mary Ellen Mark Mary Ellen Mark (March 20, 1940 – May 25, 2015) was an American photographer known for her photojournalism, documentary photography, portraiture, and advertising photography. She photographed people who were "away from mainstream society and t ...

and

Diane Arbus Diane Arbus (; née Nemerov; March 14, 1923 – July 26, 1971
" The New York ...

as influences on her work.

Collections

Golestan's work is held in the following public collection: *

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery is an art museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., focusing on Asian art. The Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art together form the National Museum of Asian Art in the United States. Th ...

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

: seven photographs from the "Witness 1979" series

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Golestan, Hengameh 1952 births Living people Iranian photographers Iranian women photographers 20th-century photographers 21st-century photographers 20th-century women photographers 21st-century women photographers