honorable mention
mahya rastegar iran, islamic republic of
title
Staying Such A Woman
Each woman of the Iranian society, according to the social identity, the context of family, religion, economy, patriarchy, misogyny, gender discrimination, etc., determines the status of women. Hence, to answer the question "Is being a woman an opportunity or a threat?", first, you must separate "gender" from the other segments of a woman's identity. A woman is someone who tries with pride, power and dare to keep all the women of her inside and outside world "alive". To keep the concept of woman's identity alive, a change in society is required.
Hence, to answer the question "Is being a woman an opportunity or a threat?", first, you must separate "gender" from the other segments of a woman's identity. A woman is someone who tries with pride, power and dare to keep all the women of her inside and outside world "alive". Each woman of the Iranian society, according to the social identity, the context of family, religion, economy, patriarchy, misogyny, gender discrimination, etc., determines the status of women.This series of works is visualizing and telling the story of 14 women's lives who with noticeable attempt, have overcome the complexities and breaking points of life and by backing up themselves counting on their inner woman and with greater efforts at re-definition of their individual identity are continuing their.
Mahya Rastegar
I began to study Graphic Design in 2000, but quit it very soon in 2001 to find my field of interest somewhere else. After many years, in 2010, I started to study Photography, and graduated in 2013.
I am mainly a social documentary photographer, most interested to capture the influential stories of women’s lives.From the aspect of appearance, face and fashion, women are different from each other, but they are all the same in the way that all of them make efforts to get stronger in their inner world and possess the ability to live independently.
From 2015 until now, I’ve been working on a long-term documentary photographing project with topic of Iranian women with influential stories. The collections of photos about each woman have the form of stories of their lives, meaning that I’m talking about the lives of these women by taking pictures of them.
While holding on to the passion of presenting all type of women issues as a woman and after some serious researches and studies, I started shooting Iranian women trough different projects since 2013.
In addition to all my ongoing projects, I have been working on a project called “To Remain Such a Woman” since 2016. I pictured all the women I live inside myself trough 10 women living under different conditions in the real/outside world (more on portfolio). This project will be released as a book soon.
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entry description
Delicate bodies and frail organs with great spirits and ambitious dreams are the coordinates of women of the land on which they are still faced with a fundamental question: "Is being a woman an opportunity or a threat?"Each woman of the Iranian society, according to the social identity, the context of family, religion, economy, patriarchy, misogyny, gender discrimination, etc., determines the status of women. Hence, to answer the question "Is being a woman an opportunity or a threat?", first, you must separate "gender" from the other segments of a woman's identity. A woman is someone who tries with pride, power and dare to keep all the women of her inside and outside world "alive". To keep the concept of woman's identity alive, a change in society is required.
Hence, to answer the question "Is being a woman an opportunity or a threat?", first, you must separate "gender" from the other segments of a woman's identity. A woman is someone who tries with pride, power and dare to keep all the women of her inside and outside world "alive". Each woman of the Iranian society, according to the social identity, the context of family, religion, economy, patriarchy, misogyny, gender discrimination, etc., determines the status of women.This series of works is visualizing and telling the story of 14 women's lives who with noticeable attempt, have overcome the complexities and breaking points of life and by backing up themselves counting on their inner woman and with greater efforts at re-definition of their individual identity are continuing their.
Mahya Rastegar
about the photographer
I am Mahya Rastegar, born 1980 in Tehran, Iran, a graduate in Photography and a Documentary Photographer, based in Tehran, Iran.I began to study Graphic Design in 2000, but quit it very soon in 2001 to find my field of interest somewhere else. After many years, in 2010, I started to study Photography, and graduated in 2013.
I am mainly a social documentary photographer, most interested to capture the influential stories of women’s lives.From the aspect of appearance, face and fashion, women are different from each other, but they are all the same in the way that all of them make efforts to get stronger in their inner world and possess the ability to live independently.
From 2015 until now, I’ve been working on a long-term documentary photographing project with topic of Iranian women with influential stories. The collections of photos about each woman have the form of stories of their lives, meaning that I’m talking about the lives of these women by taking pictures of them.
While holding on to the passion of presenting all type of women issues as a woman and after some serious researches and studies, I started shooting Iranian women trough different projects since 2013.
In addition to all my ongoing projects, I have been working on a project called “To Remain Such a Woman” since 2016. I pictured all the women I live inside myself trough 10 women living under different conditions in the real/outside world (more on portfolio). This project will be released as a book soon.
back to gallery