Amak Mahmoodian: Zanjir

“Zanjir” is a conversation imagined between the artist Amak Mahmoodian (1980-present) and the Persian princess and memoirist Taj Saltaneh (1883 – 1936). In Zanjir, Amak Mahmoodian draws on imagery from King name’s collection from the 19th Century held at Golestan archives in Tehran and photographs she took in Iran to explore feelings of loss and separation from family and homeland. Through memories and dreams, Zanjir mythifies absence and presence. The present which continuously exists in past, and the past which continuously exists in present.

Amak Mahmoodian is an artist born in Shiraz and lives in Bristol, UK. In 2015, she completed a practice based doctorate in photography at the University of South Wales, having previously studied at the Art University of Tehran. The artist’s work questions Western notions of identity, expressing personal stories that pertain to wider social issues which draws on her experiences in the Middle East, Asia and the West. Her previous project, Shenasnameh, has been widely exhibited internationally and the accompanying artist photobook won many awards and critical acclaim in publications as diverse as Time magazine, Lensculture and Foam magazine. In addition to her own artistic practice, Mahmoodian is a curator and through the Ffotogallery touring exhibition Bi nam – Image and Identity in Iran she provided first European exposure for emergent Iranian artists and photographers, presenting work previously unseen outside Iran.