29 Arts in Progress gallery is thrilled to present the inaugural solo exhibition of talented Iranian artist, Farnaz Damnabi, titled ‘UNVEILED’. The exhibition will run from May 23rd to July 28th, 2023, showcasing a carefully curated selection of her works that tell a captivating and poignant story of a young female photographer from contemporary Iran, navigating the realms of the past and the future.
Damnabi’s photographs place women at the forefront, serving as both illustrations and tributes to the Iranian female identity. Her images shed light on the daily lives of women, mothers, and workers who have been overlooked by a deeply patriarchal society, one that has been slow to acknowledge their equality, value, and freedom.
Many of the displayed photographs draw attention to critical issues such as gender discrimination in the labor market, the wage gap, and the failure to recognize women’s silent contributions to vital sectors of the Iranian economy and craft industry, such as saffron harvesting in the fields of Torbat-e Heydarieh or carpet production.
In her series titled “Lost Paradise,” female figures are portrayed from behind, standing before a traditional Persian rug, blending and almost merging with the background. This serves as both an optical and social metaphor for their invisibility within society.
Damnabi’s renowned reporting work, characterized by its poetic and dramatic essence, delves into the lives of children, showcasing the challenges they face while also capturing their remarkable ability to find moments of magic in the most adverse circumstances. One of her emblematic projects, aptly titled “Playing is my right,” reminds us of this resilience.
In her series “Metamorphosis,” women, children, and teenagers populate her photographs, capturing suspended moments, everyday scenes, rituals, garments, and emblematic traditions of Iran. With her recent project, “Be like a Butterfly,” Damnabi documents the endeavors of younger generations of women striving for improvement, illustrating the slow and gradual changes that seem imperceptible, similar to the metamorphosis of chrysalides into butterflies.
Within Damnabi’s deeply personal and heartfelt depiction of her homeland, she also documents the experiment of a new city constructed a few kilometers from Tehran. Ironically named Pardis (Paradise), its purpose was to alleviate the overcrowding in major cities. However, the extensive construction of buildings has resulted in the devastation of the mountain ecosystem and the destruction of natural habitats, exacerbating the connectivity issues with the capital. The photographs from her “Pardis” series, suspended between reality and dreams, present a somber portrayal of a “lunar landscape” – a term coined by the artist herself. It depicts a denied paradise, transformed into a dormitory district where countless workers and the most impoverished families merely survive, living in ghettos devoid of basic amenities.
Damnabi’s photographs give voice to the unheard stories of Iran, portraying the marginalized women in society, the children deprived of a carefree childhood, and all the invisible Iranians relegated to the fringes, both geographically and socially.
Her portraits aim not to provoke controversy but rather to be representative, providing us with a lens through which we can intimately witness a world we are already aware of, now evoking a more profound and introspective response.
Amidst these narratives of isolation, loss, and exclusion, Farnaz Damnabi’s youthful voice emerges with refined elegance, combining indignation with hope. Her photographs possess a delicate yet powerful quality, impressing upon us the urgency to see, reflect, and stand alongside her.