Omid e Mehr - Center for Girls in Tehran, Iran

FROM INCEPTION TO EXECUTION is a virtual exhibition of photographs created by the young women of the Omid-e-Mehr Foundation in Tehran during workshops conducted by Hengameh Golestan and Omid Salehi in 2008 and 2009. All photographs are signed and printed in an edition of ten. All prints are for sale. Sales proceeds will go to support Omid's artistic programs and activities, with parts going to the photographers.

Comments by other Artists:

"The young women who created the images in this exhibition have succeeded where many fail. They have stepped out of their own selves and come a step closer in absorbing their surroundings by learning how to see better and thus see things that are invisible to most. The goal of one who tries to capture images with a camera should not be to become a photographer but to learn how to see and observe. What could be more important in our voyage of self-discovery? This is where the photographers who show their works in this exhibition have succeeded and this is why they need to be applauded."
Abbas Kiarostami, Tehran

"These photographs are extremely touching and a great tool for these young women to engage in life outside of their own; to observe and frame reality with a whole new eye."
Shirin Neshet, New York

The Workshops and the Exhibition:

The workshops were the brainchild of Hengameh Golestan and Omid Salehi who wanted to teach the art of photography to the young women at Omid-e-Mehr. After carefully selecting the workshop participants, they started by introducing the world of photography to the students by showing them superior photographic artworks, technical films about photography, and taking them to various galleries and photographic exhibitions. Films were translated, books were made available to the students, and various photographers were invited to talk about their experiences. After gaining some initial experiences, each participant chose her main subjects, after deliberations and exchanges of ideas.

Omid-e-Mehr’s holistic program of empowerment, education and training has always included different ways of using photography as a therapeutic tool. Our experience has shown that for some photography can be a very effective vehicle for getting in touch with themselves and finding a voice for expressing their thoughts, perceptions and observations. The photographs you see are a manifestation of the encounters of the workshop participants with the worlds around them. Some reflect a desire for change, others show critical and reflective observations of the society in which they live. The quality of the photographs reflect a sensitivity and purity that is very touching. The positive therapeutic impact of this experience went beyond our expectations. None of the girls chose to express their pains and sorrows in their photography. Instead the photographs either express hopes and aspirations or describe a world in which the photographer is both at home and at ease.

The Exhibition Catalogue:

Download the fully illustrated EXHIBITION CATALOGUE, which shows all the photographs plus

prices
sizes
technical details.

The Photographers:

Mahboobeh Baess was born in 1985 in Tehran (Iran). Participating in the photography workshops has changed her perception of art and introduced her to a new way of thinking. Her project entitled “Boutique” involves taking photos of hanging clothes. Her photographs try to show how clothes reflect the character of their owners. She had previously worked in the field of design for close to two years, but it was the photography workshops which awakened her interest in photography. An interest which she hopes to pursue further.
Mansooreh Baess was born in 1987 in Tehran (Iran). She is still continuing her studies in the field of Education. The title of her photography project is Taghcheh (Mantelpiece). This word reminds her of innocent childhood memories. She considers those memories as an integral part of her life. She believes that the empty mantelpieces that she photographs in the houses of simple people, are a reflection of the simplicity of their lives. Her photographs capture their purity which is reflected in their simplicity. The project has enabled her to better understand her surroundings.
Leila Doosti was born in 1972 in Tehran (Iran). Leila attaches importance to develop an understanding of herself and to remain genuine and honest towards herself in all her actions. She always sets goals for herself and does her best to achieve them. She believes that her most difficult task in life is to be independent and be able to rely on herself. She started getting involved in photography in 2008. The subjects of her photographs are persons and events in her neighbourhood.
Kobra Moradifar was born in 1985 in Tehran (Iran). She is the second child in a family of with eight children. Kobra likes to study photography and graphic design. Photography allows her to temporarily escape her problems, pains, and sorrows. Her dream is to have her own photo studio through which she can earn a decent income and help her parents.
Froozan Parvani was born in 1988 in Afghanistan and currently lives in Tehran (Iran). She is interested theatre and journalism, but her special passion is photography. She also likes to write. Froozan is interested in social issues and relationships in society and uses her photography to document these. The subjects of her photographs are her neighbourhood as well as Afghan children and working men living in Iran.
Nadiya Parvani born in 1987 in Afghanistan and currently lives in Tehran (Iran). She has five siblings. She has lived in Iran since the age of six and is passionate about photography and acting. Her most recent theatrical role was in a play entitled ‘Hossein Gholi, the man who smiles with no lips’. Her photographs have been exhibited in numerous exhibitions in Tehran. She got involved with photography by accident but it now is an inseparable part of her life. She is determined to make a career out of photography and become a recognised and well know photographer. It was the photography workshops which made her think seriously about a career in photography. She finds photography relaxing and therapeutic.
Latifeh Safarzadeh was born in 1987 in Afghanistan and currently lives in Tehran (Iran). She is the third oldest child in her family. Her interest in graphics and photography started at a very early age. Photography opened her eyes to many aspects of the world around her, which she had not noticed before. It has helped her to view her surroundings with a greater degree of focus and curiosity. To her, photography is looking at the world from a different perspective and touching things that otherwise would go undetected.

The Workshop Leaders:

Hengameh Golestan was born in 1952 in Tehran (Iran), and is considered a pioneer among Iranian women photographers. Her photographs, which have documented life in Iran for the past twenty-eight years, have been exhibited both at home and internationally. During the Islamic Revolution she captured the rebellion of women, including the last day women were allowed to go without the hejab (Islamic headscarf), in public. She assisted her husband, the late Kaveh Golestan, on numerous projects, including the Channel Four television documentary "Recording the Truth". She runs the Kaveh Golestan Estate with her son Mehrak.

Omid Salehi was born in 1972 in Shiraz (Iran). He studied Graphics and Photography at Azad University. He uses photography as a means for studying various aspects of daily life in Iranian society. His work has been published extensively in Iranian media and exhibited widely both in Iran and internationally, including France, Georgia, Greece and the United Kingdom. He is the recipient of numerous awards including Iranian Documentary Photography in Isfahan Award, Kaveh Golestan Photo Journalism Award, Iranian Documentary Photography Award, and Iranian Young Cinema Society Award.

Purchase and Shipment of Photographs:

Photographs are each priced at $300 or £200. This price includes packing in a tube and shipping by regular airmail to anywhere in the world.

Contact the enquiry number below to check the availability of the photograph(s) you are interested in.

Payment can be made in US Dollars or Pound Sterling. The preferred method of payment is online through the ‘get involved’ page of our website using your credit/debit card, but you can also pay by check or wire transfer.

Acknowledgements:

We are most indebted to Hengameh Golestan and Omid Salehi for having made these workshops possible and to Zohreh Ingram for having created the digital catalogue and the accompanying web-pages.

Additional Information and Enquiries:

For technical question about the photographs, sales enquiries, payment, packing shipping, etc., please contact info@omid-e-mehr.org or +44 (20) 75846949.