The work in this series serves as both an account of my identity and a reflection of the nostalgic feelings associated with memories. It consists of photographs of my mother, objects of cultural significance, and reflections of myself.
I utilized reflections in multiple images of this series because of its ability to express duality, the tension and harmony between my Iranian roots and my American upbringing. Reflections also speak to perception, revealing how identity shifts depending on the angle from which it is viewed.
There are two color images in this series, both depicting me rearranging old family photos from Iran. I chose to use color because they capture me in the present, here and now, looking back. In contrast, the rest of the photos are monochrome as they represent age-old identity and memories that once were. Together, they highlight the relationship between past and present, demonstrating how heritage endures and shifts through generations via reflection and reinterpretation.
The still-life images feature objects from my home that evoke personal and ancestral memories and meaning. Photographing items such as kettles, textiles, and books allowed me to capture pieces of heritage that are still visible and used in everyday life.
The throughline of this series is the relationship between identity and memory, and the space between. As an artist, I see this work as an act of self-definition that uses photography to weave together the fragments of the past, revealing how identity is both inherited and continually reimagined.
