Amak Mahmoodian (b.1980, Shiraz, Iran) is a multidisciplinary artist and educator. She began her career as a research-based photographer in Iran in 2003 at the Art University of Tehran. Since 2007, she has been living in the UK where she practices as a visual artist and lecturer in Photography at the University of the West of England. In 2015, she completed a practice-based PhD in photography at the University of South Wales. Working with photography, text, video, drawing, archives and sound at the intersection of conceptual and documentary photography, Amak’s artistic practice explores the presentation of gender, identity and displacement, bridging a space between personal and political. |
︎︎︎ Publications
2023: The Portrait Photographer’s Manual, Cian Oba Smith, Max Ferguson, Thames&Hudson, USA.
2022: Der Grief 15, The colectivity Issue, Guest Artist Editor, Germany.
2021: Photobooks &, Matt Johnston, Onomatopee Publishing, UK.
2021: Photography- A Fiminist History, Emma Lewis, Tate Publishing, UK.
2021: Photography Now: Fifty Pioneers Defining Photography for the Twenty-First Century, Charlotte Jansen, Octopus Publishing.
2021: Photo No-Nos: Meditations on What Not to Photograph, Jason Fulford, Aperture, 2021, USA.
2019: Zanjir, RRB Photobooks / ICVL Studio.
2018: How We See, Photobooks by Women, 10x 10 Photobooks,USA.
2016: Shenasnameh, RRB Photobooks/ ICVL Studio.
︎︎︎ Education
2015: PhD,European Centre for Photographic Research, University of South Wales, Uk.
2008: MA, Documentary Photography, Art University of Tehran, Iran.
2005: BA, Photography, Art University of Tehran, Iran.
︎︎︎ Awards
2024: Shortlisted of Torio Grant for Contemporary Photography
2024: Nominated for Foam Paul Huf Award 2024.
2024: Nominated for Prix Elysee Award 2025.
2024: Nominated for Paul Hamlyn Award 2024.
2022: D6 Culture in Transit, Artist Residency,
Newcastle, UK
2020: Winner of the best photo/text book 2020, Rencontres Arles, France
2016: Selected by the Photobookstore Magazine, Photobooks of 2016
2016: Selected by Humble Arts Foundation, the Best Socially Concerned Photobooks of 2016
2016: Winner of the Flip Photobook Award, Russia
2016: Selected as the Favourite Photobook on Metalist of 2016
2016: Selected by Time Magazine, the Best Photobooks of The year
2016: Winner of the 14th Reminders Photography Stronghold, Japan
2016: Shenasnameh, Special Mention at Maribor Photobook Award, Slovenia
2016: Shortlisted of the International Photocontest Direct Look
2016: Finalist Best British Book Design and Production of the year
2016: Shortlisted Best Arthur Book 2016, Rencontres Arles
2015: Best Photo Book of the year, LensCulture
2015: Best Photo Book of the year, PhotoBookStore
︎︎︎ Exhibitions
2024: International Human Rights Day 2024, performance, Newcastle, Uk
2024: Shenasnameh, Treasures Gallery, Bristish Library
2024: One Hundred and Twenty Minutes, Bristol Photo Festival, UK
2024: Belonging, Geothe Institution, Cyprus.
2023: Artes Mundi 10, Aurora Trinity Colective, UK
2023: Martin Parr foundations - Counterpoints, Gereh, Bristol, UK
2023: Peckham 24, Body Language, Shenasnameh, London, UK
2023: Raw 2023, Turning Point, Ego, Germany 2022: “Zanjir”, Bound Narratives, 2022 Florence
2022: “Zanjir”, Dergreif Issue #15, 2022, Germany 2021: “ Zanjir”, Recontres Arles, France
2020: “ Zanjir”, Tibilis Photo Festival, Greece
2020: “ Zanjir”, Lumix Festival 2020, Germany
2020: " Zanjir", Arnolfini, Bristol, UK
2019: " How We See" Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh
2019: "How we See", Museum Of Fine Art and Masssachusetts College of Art
2019: "Shenasnameh", Offset Pirtara, Chennai Photo Biennale
2019: " 209 Women", Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, UK
2019: "Where Time Stood Still", Ffotogallery, Penarth, UK
2019: "Where Time Stood Still", London Photo50, London, Uk
2019: "209 Women", London, UK
2019: "Ghost Stories", Bristol Archive, Bristol, UK
2018: "Our eyes tell stories" , Arnolfini, Bristol, Uk
2018: "209 Women" , Portcullis House, London, Uk
2018: " Whose and Whome" The Body as a Political Landscape, Kathmandu, Nepal
2018: Neghab, PHmuseum, UK
2018: How We See, PGH Photo Fair, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittesburgh
2018: How We See, Fototeca Latinoamericana, Buenos Aires
2018: How We See, Museum of Fine Arts and Massachusetts College of Art, Boston
2018: How We See, Reading Room, New York Public Library, New York
2018: Whose and Whome, Kathmandu, Nepal
2018: Vigilance, Struggle, Pride: Through Her Eyes, Zagreb, Croatia
2018: Vigilance, Struggle, Pride: Through Her Eyes. Graz, Austria
2018: Family on No Man, Cosmos, Arles, France
2018: Vigilance, Struggle, Pride: Through Her Eyes. Berlin, Germany.
2018: Another Meeting in Vein, Nordic Light. Norway
2018: 10x10 Photobooks, Flowers Gallery. New York, USA
2018: Vigilance, Struggle, Pride: Through Her Eyes, UGM, Maribor Art Gallery. Maribor, Slovenia
2018: The Graphic Arts of Photography, Kodak", Centre Space Art Gallery. Bristol, UK
2018: Call and Response: Art as Resistance, Strange Fire Collective. Seattle, Washington.
2017: 10x10 Awake, Doran Gallery. Massachusetts, USA
2017: Snail on the Slope, Goaphoto. Goa, India
2017: Catharsis, Exposed Gallery. Belfast, Ireland
2017: Uncensored Books - Medphoto Festival. Crete, Greece
2017: Beyond Us And Them, FOTODOK. Utrecht, The Netherlands
2017: Bind-Weed, Knowle West Media Centre. Bristol, UK
2017: Bind-Weed, @ Bristol. Bristol, UK
2017: Shenasnameh, Awake 10x10 Books, Image text Ithaca symposium. Ithaca, USA
2017: Shenasnameh, Petőfi Irodalmi Múzeum. Budapest, Hungary
2017: Uncensored Books, Literature Festival. Palermo, Italy
2017: Awake, Magnum Foundation. New York, USA
2017: Benaki Museum, Athens Photo Festival 2017. Athens, Greece
2017: PGH Photo, Carnegie Museum of Art. Pittsburgh, USA
2017: Offspring Photo Meet 2017. London, UK
2017: Cardiff International Festival of Photography 2017, Diffusion. Cardiff, Wales
2017: Shenasnameh , Uncensored Books. Belgrade, Serbia
2017: Shenasnameh, Call an Response: Art as Residence. Syntax Physic Opera. Denver, USA
2017: Shenasnameh, Reminders Photography Stronghold. Tokyo, Japan
2017: I, Workshop at RPS. Tokyo, Japan
2017: Shenasnameh, CLOSER. Bari, Italy
2017: Shenasnameh, LhGWR gallery. The Hague, The Netherlands
2017: Shenasnameh, Moscow Photobook Festival. Moscow, Russia
2017: Thats What My Love Is, Vision 20/20, Knowel West Media Centre. Bristol, UK
2017: Shenasnameh, Favourite Book , 10x 10 Photo Book. New York, USA
2016: East Street Tales, Curation. Bristol, UK
2016: Shenasnameh, Leboudoir2.2, Berlin, Germany - Multimedia Show.
2016: Shenasnameh, Gazebook: Sicilly Photobook Festival, Italy - Multimedia Show
2016: Organ Vida: What's This Book? Zagreb, Croatia - Multimedia Show
2016: BPF Open16 Moving Image. Brighton, UK - Multimedia Show
2016: Bi Nam, Richmond House / Ffotogallery. Cardiff, UK
2016: Curated Projection, Goethe-Instut. Chennai, India
2015: Asian Women Photographer's Showcase, Chapel Gallery, Objectifs. Singapore
2015: Everything is Politics. ICV Lab Studio, Bristol, UK
2013: Bi Nam, Ffotogallery. Cardiff, UK
2012: Bi Nam, Image and Identity. Ffotogallery. Cardiff, UK
2010: Who Am I ?, Flock Gallery. Caerleon, UK
2009: Neghab, Ffloc Gallery. Newport, UK
2008: Family Albums, Barg Gallery. Tehran, Iran
2007: Red Light, Laleh Gallery. Tehran, Iran
2004: 9th Tehran Photo Biennial. Tehran, Iran
︎︎︎ Talks and Interviews
2024: British Journal of Photography, The Bigger Picture, by Mariama Attah, UK
2024: Financial Times, The night Issue, One Hundred and Twenty Minutes, UK 2024: In conversation with Lydia Goldblat, Martin Parr Foundation, UK
2024: Art of The Maker, Arnolfini, UK
2024: One hundreda and Twenty Minutes, Bristol Photo Festival Symposium , Watershed, UK 2024: Hapax magazine, One Hundred and Twenty Minutes, Uk
2023: Martin Parr Foundations, Displacement symposium, UK
2023: Spike Island , One Hundred and Twenty Minutes, Bristol, Uk
2023: Peckham 24, Body Language, London, Uk.
2023: Victoria and Albert Museum, “Women, Life, Freedon” London, Uk 2023; Format Festival, Shenasnameh, Derby, Uk
2023: Compendium, Journal of Contemporary Studies, David Company, Materials of the Photobook
2022: PHmuseum Masterclasses 2022, Italy 2022: Est Contemporary Bristol, Zanjir, UK
2022: The Refuges Buddy Project, De La Warr Pavillion, UK
2022: Arts Mundi, Wales, 2022
2022: Nearest Truth Photobooks Series, USA
2022: Der Greif # 15, Conversation Series, 2022, Germany.
2022: Tate Modern, Conversation Series with Emma Jones, 2022, UK.
2021: British Journal of Photography, On Location: Bristol, Aaron Schuman, 2021, Uk.
2021: Foam Magazine, The Archival Issue #59, David Campany, The Netherlands.
2021: Arts Mundi,The International Museum of Cardiff, Wales.
2021: The Yale Review, Volum 109, USA
2021: Poetry Surfaces, Bristol Photo Festival, UK
2020: PhotoAlliance 2021 International Lecture Series, USA.
2020: "Zanjir", Financial Times, London, UK
2020: “Zanjir", Four Corners Gallery, London, Uk
2020, “Zanjir", World Press Photo,The Netherlands.
2020: “Zanjir”, Nearest Truth, USA
2020: “Zanjir”, 10x10 photobooks , USA
2020: “Zanjir”, Photoworks, Uk
2020: “Zanjir”, A Small Voice Podcast, UK
2020: "Light into Memory", American Suburbx, USA
2020: " Zanjir", 1000 words Magazine, London, UK
2020: "Zanjir", IM Magazine, Bristol, UK
2020: "Zanjir", Hundred heroines, London, Uk
2020: " Zanjir", HUB Magazine, Bristol, Uk
2020: " Zanjir", Photography Conference, Cardiff Museum, UK
2019:" Zanjir", Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol, UK
2019:"Hunt of Memory", Arnolfini, Bristol, UK
2019: Visual Journalism , Czech Press Photo, Prague , Czech Republic
2019:"Another meeting in Vein", Czech Press Photo, Prague, Czech Republic
2019: "Where Time Stood Still", APHE Conference, Coventry, UK
2019: " Where Time Stood Still", Spike Island, Bristol, UK
2019: " Women's Perspective", Kobra Museum of Modern Art, The Netherlands
2019:" Northern Narratives" Interviews, UK
2019: " WhereTime Stood Still" , Oxford Modern Art Museum, UK
2019: "In picture", Wallpaper magazine, Uk
2019: "Alternative Family Portraits" , The Guardian, Uk
2018: " Another Meeting In Vein", Kathmandu Photo Festival, Nepal
2018: Whisper of the Past, Family Ties Network. Coventry, UK
2018: Whisper of the Past, Activating the Archives, Arnolfini. Bristol, UK
2018: Whisper of the Past, Nordic Light. Norway
2018: Coventry University, Another meeting in vein. Coventry, UK
2018: Internation Woman's Day, Murmuration. Bristol, UK
2018: Pressfor Progress Inspiring Women, Arnolfini. Bristol, UK
2018: Photomonitor, Shenasnameh, Interviewed by Caroline Molly. UK
2018: Financial Times, Identity: A Photography Special. London, UK
2017: Wired Magazine, Identity, Interview. Tokyo, Japan
2017: Better Pictures Magazine , Interview. India
2017: Tique, Art Paper, Interview. Belgium
2017: WIRED Conference 2017, WRD Identity. Tokyo, Japan
2017: Tama Art University. Tokyo, Japan
2017: Exposed Gallery. Belfast, Ireland
2017: Fast Forward, Women in Photography, National Gallery of Art. Vilnius, Lithuania
2017: WIRED Lab Workshop,Tokyo, Japan - http://lab.wired.jp/workshop/obara-amak/
2017: FOTODOK, Bookclub#11. Utrecht, The Netherlands
2017: Shenasnameh Sicily Photobook Festival. Sicily, Italy
2017: Another Metting With Her In Vein, Photobook Osaka, Osaka, Japan
2017: Remind The Future Not To Forget The Past, Arnolfini. Bristol, UK
2017: Buzz Magazine, Shenasnameh, 12 highlights from Diffusion
2017: Aesthetica Magazine, Challenging Representation, UK
2017: Diffusion Festival 2017, Revolution Symposium. Cardiff, Wales
2017: Photographic Dialogues Magazine, Moving Stills, UK
2017: KWMC, Re Valuing Photography, People and Places. UK
2017: La Repubblica. Bari, Italy
2017:The Royal Academy of Art, KABK. Netherlands
2017:World Press Photo, Honoured Lecture. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2017: From A Project To A Viable Book, Coventry University. Conventry, UK
2017: Visual Artworks Inspired by Personal Life, 0A113 WebMagazine, France
2017: Shenasnameh, Who We Are?, Foam Magazine. The Netherlands
2017: University of the West of England, Shenasnameh. Bristol, UK
2017: Weston Art College, Another Meeting With Her In Vein. UK
2016: Belfast University. Belfast, Northern Ireland
2016: Extra Fort. Photography at Recycle Art. Brussels, Belgium
2016: Shenasnameh, Best Photo Books Review of 2016, IMA Magazine. Japan
2016: Women Looking at Women, Raw View Magazine. New York, USA
2016: Shenasnameh, Article on Shenasnameh, PHMuseum, UK
2016: Shenasnameh, Review on Shenasnameh, Photo Eye, UK
2016: Shenasnameh, Collector Daily. UK
2016: Brighton Photo Fringe, In Conversation with Maria Kapajeva. Brighton, UK
2016: Review on Shenasnameh, Kassel Foto Buch. Germany
2016: An Article on Shenasnameh, Gabriela Cendoya. Spain
2016: Review on Shenasnameh, Hajime Kimura
2016: Another Meeting With Her In Vein, Unveiled. Exeter, UK
2016: leboudoir2.0 goes to Arles-Le Local, 13 rue du Pont. Arles, France
2016: Another Meeting With Her in Vein, The Photographer's Gallery. London, UK
2016: Photo Book Bristol. Bristol, UK
2016: In Conversation with Lina Hashim, IC Visual Lab. Bristol, UK
2016: The Photographer artist, activist, innovator? Knowle West Media Centre and Fotonow CIC. Bristol, UK
2016: Image and Identity, Richmond House. Bristol, UK
2016: Shenasnameh included in One Image Story (curated by Maria Kapajeva), Fast Forward
2016: ArtyCul Show, An interview with Shawn Naphtali Sobors. Bristol, UK
2016: Arnolfini, Shenasnameh, APHE. Bristol, UK
2016: Weston-super-Mare Art College. Weston-super-Mare, UK
2016: An Interview with Colin Pantal, Shenasnameh, Photo Book Bristol. Bristol, UK
2015: An Interview with Colin Pantall. Bristol, UK
2015: Shenasnameh, Bristol UWE. Bristol, UK
2015: Asian Women Photographer's Showcase. Singapore
2013: Binam, Image and Identity. Cardiff, UK
2012: The Radio 2 Arts Show with Claudia Winkleman. London, UK
2012: In Conversation with Carolyn Hassan. Penarth, UK
2010: In Conversation with Professor Alexis Nuselovici. Newport, UK