Maryam Shabani

Tame (2018 – present)

This collection had already come into existence long before I discovered that I have bipolar disorder. But after this discovery, I was able to empathize with what I’ve been through while I was capturing a moment.

Photography, always fascinated me more than anything while I was dealing with depression and mania. Still, ultimately, not one of those things that I capture have more worthiness compared to another and photography is always a matter of alleviation and a relief to my spirit. It was photography that preserved me from insanity. This collection may serve as a reverence to photography which aided me from getting trapped by the inevitable boredom of life.

I discovered my passion for photography when I was a teenager. I loved to take photographs of almost everything and as an introvert, This evergrowing fondness to photography has been always the best way to express and perceive myself in every moment that I capture.

I studied Math major in high school, therefore I couldn’t start studying something related to arts easily as a university student. I started studying Urban Planning at the Faculty of Fine arts, the University of Tehran in 2016. I wasn’t really enjoying that major and I was looking forward to getting related to arts and more specifically, photography, Thus I decided to study Photography for my master’s degree in 2021 in the same faculty and the same university. Since then I’m trying to find my way as an art photographer.

Why art photography? As I mentioned previously, I find photography the best way for expressing myself and my feelings. Whenever I’m experiencing any kind of feeling I can analyze it through my photographs, and I think this style of photography is an art form.

– Maryam Shabani