Maryam Zandi (born 1946 in
Gorgan
Gorgan ( fa, گرگان ; also romanized as ''Gorgān'', ''Gurgān'', and ''Gurgan''), formerly Esterabad ( ; also romanized as ''Astarābād'', ''Asterabad'', and ''Esterābād''), is the capital city of Golestan Province, Iran. It lies appro ...
, Iran)
is an Iranian
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 ...
and author. She is best known for her photographs during 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 ...
.
Biography
She spent her school years in Gorgan and then graduated from
University of Tehran
The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...
in the School of Law & Political Sciences. Beginning her photography career in 1970, she was awarded with the first prize of the ministry of art and culture's national photography competition. In 1972 she joined Iranian national TV-Radio as a photographer and later by initial publications of “Tamasha” magazine, she became Iranian Television and Tamasha magazine's public relations photographer.
Maryam Zandi remained with National Television for the next twelve years. Within this time she also began capturing photos of the revolution in 1979 as well as many other photographic experiences. Her first significant photography project (“Chehreh-ha: Portraits”) was formed within these years after revolution (1981) which by the beginning of the
Iran-Iraq war and her trip to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
(1986–1989) remains incomplete.
However her first photography book (“Turkmen & Sahra”: Turkmen & Desert) was published in 1982. This is the first collection portraying Turkmens of Iran and also the first collection which by the means of photographs intends to study and explore one of the Iranian ethnic groups. Her university thesis is also a sociological research about
Turkmens
Turkmens ( tk, , , , ; historically "the Turkmen"), sometimes referred to as Turkmen Turks ( tk, , ), are a Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia, living mainly in Turkmenistan, northern and northeastern regions of Iran and north-weste ...
of Iran.
After returning to Iran in 1989, work on the incomplete project (“Chehreh-ha”: Portraits) is resumed. This work is still ongoing and after 26 years a unique extensive photography archive of famous and influential contemporary Iranian elites (as well as some non-Iranians) in the fields of literature, visual arts, cinema, theatre, architecture, music and politics is shaped. Maryam Zandi has published more than ten photography books until now.
Her last publication is the “
1979 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 ...
” photography book which is a collection of incidents happening around the time of the Iranian revolution in 1979.
Since 2000 Maryam Zandi's photographs in collaboration with “Ebrahim Haghighi” (Graphic designer) have designed and published more than 80 different types of artistic calendars. Most of these calendars are the first of their kind containing various photographs related to Iran. By publishing these calendars, Maryam Zandi has taken a huge influential step in improving the imagery culture and photographic taste of the Iranian people by taking these diverse range of photographs from every corner of the country to people's household.
In 2005 Maryam Zandi along with twelve other famous and influential Iranian photographers were selected by the “Society of Iranian Photographers” to establish the “National Iranian Photographers’ Society (NIPS)”. In 2009 by the first meeting of the board of directors, Maryam Zandi –achieving the highest vote– was elected as the first chairman of the board. She resigned from NIPS in 2013.
In 2010 she was invited to receive the “first degree medal of art” from the president, however she refused the medal in protest to lack of freedom and professional dignity of photographers in Iran at the time. Same year, she received an independent award as the most influential photographer of the year in the “Social Documentary Photography Festival” for supporting the rights of Iranian photographers (“Sheed Award”). In 2014 she won the same prize again, for publishing the book “
1979 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 ...
”.
Maryam Zandi has also been active in designing and making glass-works. She has held three exhibitions portraying her glass art. Within the past 40 years, Maryam Zandi has been one of the most active, dynamic and influential photographers of the country.
Publications
* 1983 ''Turkman and the desert.'' B&W. Tehran.
* 1991 The portraits of the book,Stories from Iran.'' Mage Publishers, Washington DC. B&W
* 1993 ''Portraits (1) A Portfolio of Iranian Literati '' B&W. Tehran.
* 1995 ''Portraits (2) A Portfolio of Iranian Artists'' B&W. Tehran.
* 1997 ''Portraits (3) A Portfolio of Iranian Film and Theater Celebrities'' B&W . Tehran.
* 2001 ''Akkashi (PotoPaints) with E.Haghighi''. Publisher:Haft Rang, Tehran.
* 2004 ''Portraits (4) A Portfolio of Iranian Literati Vol. 2.'' B&W. Publisher:Haft Rang, Tehran.
* 2006 ''Iran! my beloved flower!'' Color. Publisher: Nazar publication, Tehran.
* 2007 Portraits of ''The Book of Iranian Architects.'' Publisher: Nazar publication and Iran Architectural Pride worthies Foundation.
* 2008 ''Blue with Red line.'' Color. Publisher: Nazar publication, Tehran.
* 2014 ''The Revolution of IRAN 79'' (photo collection ), Black and white, Publisher: Nazar.
* 2017 ''Portraits (5) A Portfolio of Iranian Musicians''. Black and white, Publisher: Maryam Zandi, Tehran.
* 2018 ''… I Feel Sorry for Mr. Dugger''; Poems by Maryam Zandi. Publisher: Maryam Zandi, Tehran.
* 2019 ''My Hair in the Wind'' (photo collection ), Black and white, Publisher: Nazar.
* 2019 ''The Government of 80'' (photo collection ), Black and white, Publisher: Nazar.
* Since 2000: ''Calendars and Postcards'' in various themes.
Solo exhibitions
* 1973 ''Black and white,''
Qandriz Gallery,
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 ...
.
* 1974 ''Asian Games, color,'' Qandriz gallery, Tehran.
* 1978 ''Woman in step with the Revolution,'' Ministry of Labor and Bagh-e Ferdows, Tehran.
* 1979 ''Form and Tradition in Turkman-Sahra,'' color, Negarestan Museum, Tehran.
* 1989 ''Portrits from the Iranian Literati Scene,'' Private showing, Tehran.
* 1991 ''Portrits from the Iranian Literati Scene,''
Hilton Hotel
Hilton Hotels & Resorts (formerly known as Hilton Hotels) is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of American multinational hospitality company Hilton.
The original company was founded by Conrad Hilton. As ...
, Washington D.C.
* 1992 ''Portrits from the Iranian Literati Scene,'' George Washington University, Washington D.C.
* 1993 ''Portraits of Contemporary Iranian Artists,'' Barg Art Gallery, Tehran.
* 1998 ''A Selection of Portraits,'' Golestan Gallery, Tehran.
* 1998 ''Another Glance to the Nature,'' Haftsamar Gallery, Tehran.
* 2002 ''Color and Glass,(glass works),'' Golestan Gallery, Tehran.
* 2003 ''Color and Glass,(glass works),'' Golestan Gallery, Tehran.
* 2007 ''The Photos,'' Day Galleey, Tehran.
* 2008 ''Afghanestan,'' Day Gallery, Tehran.
* 2009 ''The Photos,'' Golestsn Gallery, Tehran.
* 2011 ''The Gifts of the earth,'' Gallery No 6 Tehran
* 2012 ''The Crows,'' Golestan Gallery, Tehran
* 2013 ''Glass works,'' Golestan Gallery, Tehran
* 2016 ''The Flowers,'' Golestan gallery, Tehran
See also
*
Culture of Iran
The culture of Iran () or culture of PersiaYarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) is among the most influential in the world. Iran, also known as Persia, is widely considered to be one of the cradles of civilization. Due t ...
*
Islamic art
Islamic art is a part of Islamic culture and encompasses the visual arts produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by Muslim populations. Referring to characteristic traditions across a wide ra ...
*
Iranian art
Persian art or Iranian art () has one of the richest art heritages in world history and has been strong in many media including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and sculpture. At different times, influences ...
*
Iranian art and architecture
Iranian may refer to:
* Iran, a sovereign state
* Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran
* Iranian lan ...
*
List of Iranian artists
The following list of Iranian artists (in alphabetical order by last name) includes artists of various genres, who are notable and are either born in Iran, of Iranian descent or who produce works that are primarily about Iran.
Cinema artists
Act ...
References
External links
Maryam Zandi Official Website Chilick Photo AgencyMaryam Zandi's galleries at KargahMaryam Zandi Photo Exhibition - November 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zandi, Maryam
1947 births
Living people
20th-century Iranian women artists
21st-century Iranian women artists
20th-century women photographers
21st-century women photographers
Iranian photographers
People from Gorgan
Iranian women photographers
University of Tehran alumni
Documentary photographers
Women photojournalists